傲慢
gōman[ɡo̞ːmã̠ɴ]
The Japanese word for arrogant is 傲慢 (gōman).
傲慢 is used to describe a person possessing the character trait of excessive pride.
Meaning: having excessive pride (adj)
Which one should you use?
While 傲慢 describes a deep-seated, heavy-handed arrogance, the word 生意気 is used for someone being cheeky or impudent in a more social or behavioral sense.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
傲慢 is a formal, somewhat literary term.
How does it change in a sentence?
傲慢 functions as a na-adjective. When used to modify a noun, it takes the particle な to become 傲慢な. In its dictionary form, it is conjugated as 傲慢だ to mean 'is arrogant'.
How do you pronounce it?
gōman
Did you know?
- The term 生意気 (namaiki), often confused with 'arrogant' by beginners, actually has its roots in the word for 'raw' or 'fresh' meat, implying someone is 'too fresh' or 'too bold' for their age.
- To describe someone as arrogant in a casual setting, Japanese speakers often use the word 調子に乗る, which literally means 'to ride the rhythm' or 'to get carried away'.
- While 傲慢 describes a personality trait, Japanese often uses the phrase 上から目線 meaning 'looking down from above' to describe the specific act of speaking arrogantly to someone.
Examples in context
- トムは傲慢な野郎なんだ。Tom is an arrogant jerk.This sentence shows how to describe someone as an arrogant jerk using 傲慢.Tatoeba #8879365 by bunbuku, translation #5747768 by CM
- あの女、すごい傲慢だな。That woman is very arrogant.This sentence illustrates the use of 傲慢 to say a woman is very arrogant.Tatoeba #11674816 by small_snow, translation #5062410 by AlanF_US
- 頭はいいけど、傲慢なのよ。He's smart, but arrogant.This sentence demonstrates how to contrast intelligence with being arrogant using 傲慢.Tatoeba #12004871 by small_snow, translation #3329776 by Hybrid
- 彼は傲慢な態度をとっている。He has an arrogant attitude.
- その政治家の傲慢な振る舞いにはがっかりだ。I am disappointed by the politician's arrogant behavior.
- 彼女は生意気でちょっとキツいよね。She's a bit arrogant and tough, isn't she?
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are talking about a new manager at work.
- 健太 Kenta新しい上司はどう？Atarashii joushi wa dou?How is the new boss?
- 結衣 Yui能力はあるけど、少し傲慢だと思う。Nouryoku wa aru kedo, sukoshi gouman da to omou.He's capable, but I think he's a bit arrogant.
- 健太 Kentaそれは困るね。Sore wa komaru ne.That's a problem, isn't it?
- 結衣 Yuiええ、話しにくい人よ。Ee, hanashinikui hito yo.Yes, he's a difficult person to talk to.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 傲慢, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
