機嫌が悪い
kigen ga warui
The English phrase "cranky" translates to Japanese as 機嫌が悪い (kigen ga warui).
機嫌が悪い is used to describe a person's temporary emotional state or temperament rather than a permanent personality trait.
Meaning: grouchy, irritable, easily upset (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 機嫌 (mood/temper), が (subject marker) and 悪い (bad).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase uses the adjective 悪い in its dictionary form to state a current state.
How do you pronounce it?
kigen ga warui
Did you know?
- The word 機嫌 (kigen) comes from an old term for 'the state of the internal organs', suggesting that a 'bad mood' was once viewed as a physical ailment of the organs.
- In Japanese, the word 機嫌 (kigen) is often used as a greeting in certain formal contexts, such as ご機嫌よう (gokigenyou), which serves as both a hello and a goodbye.
- In Japanese, you can say 機嫌を直して (kigen o naoshite) to tell someone to stop being cranky, which literally means 'please fix your mood' as if it were a broken machine.
Examples in context
- あいつ、機嫌が悪いんだ。He is cranky.This sentence is useful for saying that someone is cranky using 機嫌が悪い.Tatoeba #9961091 by bunbuku, translation #20469 by CK
- 昨夜はあまり眠れなかったから、機嫌が悪いんです。Sakuyū wa amari nemurenakatta kara, kigen ga warui ndesu.I'm cranky because I couldn't sleep much last night.
Example conversation
Hiyori notices Ren is acting irritable.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮くん、今日は機嫌が悪いね。Ren-kun, kyō wa kigen ga warui ne.Ren, you're cranky today, aren't you?
- 蓮 Ren昨日あまり眠れなかったんだ。Kinō amari nemurenakatta nda.I didn't get much sleep yesterday.
- 陽葵 Himariそうだったんだ。少し休んだら？Sō datta nda. Sukoshi yasundara?I see. Why don't you rest a bit?
- 蓮 Renそうだね。そうするよ。Sō da ne. Sō suru yo.You're right. I'll do that.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
