冷酷な
reikokuna
The English phrase cold-hearted is expressed in Japanese as 冷酷な (reikokuna).
冷酷な is used to describe a person's character or a specific action that lacks human emotion or mercy.
Meaning: callous or heartless (adj)
Which one should you use?
冷酷な describes a deep-seated, cruel personality, whereas 冷たい is a more common, everyday way to say someone is 'cold' or unfriendly in a specific moment.
How does it change in a sentence?
冷酷な is an adjectival noun (na-adjective), which means it requires the particle な when it is directly modifying a noun.
How do you pronounce it?
reikokuna
Did you know?
- Japanese has a specific term, 血も涙もない, which literally means 'having neither blood nor tears'. This is a common idiomatic way to describe someone who is 冷酷な.
- While 冷酷な describes a cruel heart, the Japanese word for 'kind' is 優しい, which is often used to describe a 'soft' heart. This creates a conceptual contrast between 'hardness' and 'softness' rather than just temperature.
- The term 冷酷 can be applied to inanimate concepts like the laws of the universe or mathematical logic. In this sense, it personifies abstract, unfeeling systems as if they possessed a cruel, deliberate intent.
Examples in context
- 彼は無情な態度で人々を扱います。He treats people with a cold-hearted attitude.
- 彼女の反応は冷淡だった。Her response was cold-hearted.
- 彼の反応は無感情だ。His reaction is cold-hearted.
- 彼は冷たい人だから、近づかない方がいいよ。He's a cold-hearted person, so it's better not to get too close to him.
- あの人は本当に冷酷だよ。That person is truly cold-hearted.
- 彼は冷酷な男だ。Kare wa reikokuna otoko da.He is a cold-hearted man.
- そんな冷酷な判断はしないでください。Sonna reikokuna handan wa shinaide kudasai.Please don't make such a cold-hearted decision.
- 彼女の冷酷な態度に驚いた。Kanojo no reikokuna taido ni odoroita.I was surprised by her cold-hearted attitude.
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are talking about a strict boss.
- 美咲 Misaki部長は本当に冷酷な人だと思う。Buchō wa hontō ni reikoku na hito da to omou.I think the manager is a truly cold-hearted person.
- 健太 Kenta確かに、人の気持ちを考えないよね。Tashika ni, hito no kimochi o kangaenai yo ne.True, he doesn't consider other people's feelings.
- 美咲 Misaki昨日も冷酷な言い方をしていたし。Kinō mo reikoku na iikata o shite ita shi.He was speaking in a cold-hearted way yesterday, too.
- 健太 Kenta美咲、あまり気にしすぎないで。Misaki, amari ki ni suginaide.Misaki, don't let it get to you too much.
