To Slack Off
To Be Lazy, To Neglect
intransitive verb, ichidan verb
This word consists of kanji with hiragana attached. Because the hiragana ends with an う sound, you know this word is a verb. The kanji itself means lazy or neglect, and this verb means basically the same thing — to slack off, to be lazy, or to neglect.
怠ける is a word you use to describe someone who skips study time, avoids chores, or isn't trying very hard at something — even though they should be. It can sound critical, but it isn't nearly as heavy as words like 怠慢 or 怠惰, and it can even be used in a light or joking way sometimes.
Since this word consists of a kanji with hiragana attached, you can bet that it will use the kun'yomi reading. You didn't learn that reading with this kanji, so here's a mnemonic to help you:
You're the type to slack off on all your duties, then play it off by saying "namaste" (なま) and acting like you're some kind of wise guru who's too enlightened for worldly tasks like chores. In reality, you don't even know what "namaste" means — you're just using it as an excuse to be lazy.
努力する人は希望を語るが、怠ける人は不満を語るのさ。
A person who works hard talks of hope but a person who is idle talks of dissatisfaction.