わざとwazato“on purpose; intentionally”

わざと means on purpose; intentionally. It is a JLPT N3 grammar pattern used to say someone did something deliberately, often with blame.

This grammar point often appears in neutral Japanese. If you want to say someone did something deliberately, often with blame, わざと is a useful pattern to learn.

What does わざと mean?

Use わざと when you want to say someone did something deliberately, often with blame.

Natural translations include:

• on purpose; intentionally
• on purpose
• on purpose / intentionally

How to form わざと

わざと is an adverb that attaches directly to a verb.

Pattern: わざと + Verb

Examples of the pattern:

• わざと間違える
• わざと遅れる
• わざと忘れる

When is わざと used?

Use わざと in situations like:

• explaining grammar in context
• answering JLPT reading questions
• making natural Japanese sentences

Tone and register:

• neutral
• Common in JLPT reading, grammar questions, and natural Japanese sentences

わざと example sentences

• 彼はわざと間違えたふりをした。 — He intentionally pretended to make a mistake.
• 弟はわざと私のペンを隠した。 — My younger brother hid my pen on purpose.
• わざと遅れたわけではありません。 — I did not arrive late on purpose.
• 彼女はわざと大きな声で話した。 — She intentionally spoke in a loud voice.
• 子供がわざと水をこぼした。 — The child spilled water on purpose.

After reading each sentence, ask what job わざと is doing: the action was done deliberately, often with blame.

Nuance of わざと

The key nuance is a natural way to express “on purpose; intentionally” with the right context and tone.

This matters because わざと does more than match a single English phrase. It shows how the speaker frames the reason, comparison, intention, impossibility, distribution, or expected conclusion in the sentence.

For example:

• In context, it sounds natural when the surrounding sentence supports the nuance.
• Compared with うっかり, it has a different focus and level of formality.

わざと vs うっかり

Both わざと and うっかり can appear in related situations, but they are different.

わざと:

• means on purpose; intentionally
• fits the specific N3 pattern and nuance explained above

うっかり:

• うっかり means accidentally; わざと means intentionally

Quick contrast examples:

• Target: 彼はわざと間違えたふりをした。 — He intentionally pretended to make a mistake.
• Compare: Try replacing it with うっかり and check whether the nuance still matches.

Common mistakes with わざと

Watch out for these mistakes:

• Using わざと with the wrong form
• Confusing わざと with うっかり

A helpful practice method is to write one sentence with わざと, then rewrite it with うっかり.

Is わざと on the JLPT?

Yes. わざと is commonly taught as JLPT N3 grammar.

That means learners should be able to:

• recognize it in reading
• understand its nuance in context
• use it in simple original sentences

Practice questions for わざと

• Write one sentence using わざと.
• Contrast わざと with うっかり.
• Make a JLPT-style sentence where the context makes the meaning clear.

Learning path for わざと

To learn わざと efficiently, review the formation first, then contrast intention, attempt, refusal, and plans that changed.

1. First, make sure you can form わざと without looking at the pattern chart.
2. Next, compare it with ようとする and ようとしない.
3. Finally, write sentences about trying, being about to do something, or deciding not to act; then check whether replacing わざと with つもりで changes the meaning.

Related grammar to review next

• ようとする — because it helps contrast intention, attempt, and refusal to act.
• ようとしない — because it helps contrast intention, attempt, and refusal to act.
• つもりで — because it helps contrast intention, attempt, and refusal to act.
• つもりだった — because it helps contrast intention, attempt, and refusal to act.

Learn わざと with Hane

If you want to review わざと together with the related patterns above, Hane helps you connect grammar, kanji, and vocabulary in short, focused sessions.

Browse more lessons here:

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