天才
tensai[tẽ̞ɰ̃sa̠i]
The English phrase "big brain" can be translated into Japanese as 天才 (tensai).
The term is used to describe someone with exceptional innate talent or intelligence.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use the noun 天才 as an adjective to describe a person's actions or abilities, you add the suffix -teki na to form 天才的な, which means "genius-like" or "brilliant".
How do you pronounce it?
tensai
Did you know?
- The word 天才 literally breaks down into 'heaven' and 'talent'. This reflects an ancient belief that exceptional intelligence is a gift bestowed by the heavens rather than something developed through study.
- In Japanese pop culture, specifically in anime, calling someone a 天才 can sometimes be used sarcastically to mock a character's incredibly obvious or foolish actions.
- While 天才 means 'genius', Japanese people often use the term 天然 ('tennen') to describe someone who is 'airheaded' or 'clueless'. These two words sound very similar and are sometimes used as a play on words to describe a 'natural' personality.
Examples in context
- 彼は数学の天才だ。Kare wa suugaku no tensai da.He is a mathematical genius.
- 君は本当に天才だね。Kimi wa hontou ni tensai da ne.You are truly a genius.
- あのゲームの攻略法は天才的だ。Ano geemu no kouryaku-hou wa tensai-teki da.That game strategy is genius.
Example conversation
Misaki and Yota are discussing a difficult puzzle.
- 陽太 Yotaこのパズル、もう解けたよ。Kono pazuru, mō toketa yo.I already solved this puzzle.
- 美咲 Misakiえっ、もう？陽太は天才だね！E, mō? Yōta wa tensai da ne!What, already? Yota, you're such a big brain!
- 陽太 Yotaそんなことないよ。Sonna koto nai yo.It's not like that.
- 美咲 Misaki本当にすごいと思うよ。Hontō ni sugoi to omou yo.I really think you're amazing.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 天才, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
