彼は頭がいい
kare wa atama ga ii
In Japanese, the phrase to say "he is smart" is 彼は頭がいい (kare wa atama ga ii).
This phrase describes someone who has a high level of intelligence. While 頭がいい often refers to quick-wittedness or academic cleverness, 賢い implies a deeper, more sagacious wisdom.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 頭がいい literally translates to "head is good".
Which one should you use?
While atama ga ii often refers to quick-wittedness or academic cleverness, kashikoi implies a deeper, more sagacious wisdom.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a polite version suitable for most social situations, use 彼は頭がいいです, which adds です to the end. To express the same idea informally, you can use 彼は頭がいいよ or 彼は賢いんだ. If you want to formally describe someone as knowledgeable rather than just smart, use 彼は知識が豊富です.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that he "was" smart, the adjective ii changes to yokatta, resulting in 頭がよかったです. Additionally, adding んだ to the end of the sentence, as seen in 彼は賢いんだ, gives it a casual and explanatory tone.
How do you pronounce it?
kare wa atama ga ii
Did you know?
- To describe someone as 'street smart' rather than academically smart, Japanese speakers often use the term 世渡り上手, which literally means being 'good at crossing the world'.
- The word 頭 (atama), meaning 'head', is used in many Japanese idioms for intelligence, such as 頭が切れる (atama ga kireru), which literally means 'the head cuts' but means 'to be sharp-witted'.
- Japanese has a specific word 利口 that describes a 'clever' child who is well-behaved, blending the idea of intelligence with obedience.
Examples in context
- 彼は頭がいい。He is smart.This sentence demonstrates the use of 彼は頭がいい.Tatoeba #101709 by bunbuku, translation #370559 by saeb
- 彼は頭がいいですから、このプロジェクトのリーダーになりました。He became the leader of this project because he is smart.
- 彼は頭がいいよ！いつも彼のアドバイスに助けられているよ。He is smart! I am always helped by his advice.
- 彼は頭がいいですね。Kare wa atama ga ii desu ne.He is smart, isn't he?
Example conversation
Two students are talking about a classmate.
- 大翔 Hiroto大翔くんは勉強ができるね。Hiroto-kun wa benkyō ga dekiru ne.Hiroto is good at studying, isn't he?
- 陽葵 Himariうん、彼は頭がいいし、親切だよ。Un, kare wa atama ga ii shi, shinsetsu da yo.Yeah, he is smart and kind.
- 大翔 Hiroto羨ましいなあ。Urayamashii naa.I'm so jealous.
- 陽葵 Himari私たちも頑張ろう！Watashitachi mo ganbarō!Let's do our best too!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
