いじわる
ijiwaru
The Japanese word for 'meanie' is いじわる (ijiwaru).
いじわる is used to refer to an unkind person. If you want to describe someone as being unfriendly or unpleasant in an informal way, you might also hear the phrase Iya na yatsu (嫌な奴).
Meaning: unkind person (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
いじわる is an informal term often used in casual or even childish contexts to describe someone as a 'meanie'.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can use いじわる in different grammatical ways: by adding な to create the adjective いじわるな (meaning 'unkind' or 'mean') to describe a person or an action, or by combining it with the verb をする to form the phrase いじわるをする, which means 'to be mean' or 'to act unkindly'.
How do you pronounce it?
ijiwaru
Did you know?
- The alternative phrase 嫌な奴 uses the word 奴 (yatsu), which historically referred to a slave or servant and is now a very blunt way to say 'guy' or 'fellow'.
- The term いじわる is frequently used in 'tsundere' character tropes in anime, where a character acts like a 'meanie' to hide their true affection.
- If you call someone an いじわる in a playful way, it can actually be a form of flirting or teasing between friends, rather than a genuine insult.
Examples in context
- あの子はいじわるだ。Ano ko wa ijiwaru da.That child is a meanie.
- いじわるしないでください。Ijiwaru shinaide kudasai.Please don't be a meanie.
- 彼は昔からいじわるです。Kare wa mukashi kara ijiwaru desu.He has been a meanie since a long time ago.
Example conversation
Two siblings are arguing over a toy.
- 陽太 Yota僕のおもちゃを勝手に使わないで！Boku no omocha o katte ni tsukawanaide!Don't use my toy without permission!
- 美咲 Misaki陽太はすごくいじわるね。Youta wa sugoku ijiwaru ne.Youta, you are being such a meanie.
- 陽太 Yota美咲が先に始めたんだよ。Misaki ga saki ni hajimeta nda yo.Misaki, you started it first.
- 美咲 Misakiもう、知らない！Mou, shiranai!Fine, I'm done with you!
