生意気
namaiki[na̠ma̠ikʲi]
To say sassy in Japanese, meaning cheeky or impudent, use 生意気 (namaiki).
生意気 describes someone, often a younger person or a subordinate, who acts with an insolent or overconfident attitude. A common way to call someone a cheeky brat is 生意気な奴.
Meaning: bold and spirited, cheeky, impudent, saucy (adj)
How does it change in a sentence?
When 生意気 describes a noun directly, it takes な, as in 生意気な.
How do you pronounce it?
It is romanized as namaiki.
What mistakes should you avoid?
In English sassy can be a playful compliment for a spirited person. 生意気 is much more negative and suggests the person is being disrespectful, so do not use it as praise.
Did you know?
- The word uses the kanji 生, which usually means 'raw' or 'uncooked', to imply that a person's attitude is unrefined and lacks the seasoning of life experience.
- The word 生意気 is often used in anime and manga to describe the 'tsundere' archetype, where a character hides their affection behind a 'sassy' or abrasive attitude.
- The term 意気 (iki) is found in the phrase 意気投合 (ikigougou), which describes the joyful feeling of two people instantly clicking or being in perfect sync.
Examples in context
- あの子は少し生意気だ。Ano ko wa sukoshi namaiki da.That child is a little sassy.
- そんな生意気な口をきかないで。Sonna namaiki na kuchi o kikanaide.Don't talk back so cheekily.
- 彼は生意気な態度をとった。Kare wa namaiki na taido o totta.He acted in an impudent way.
Example conversation
A sister is teasing her younger brother about his attitude.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮、ちょっと生意気じゃない？Ren, chotto namaiki janai?Ren, aren't you being a bit sassy?
- 蓮 Ren別に、普通だよ。Betsu ni, futsuu da yo.Not really, I'm just being normal.
- 陽葵 Himariその言い方が生意気なの。Sono iikata ga namaiki na no.It's the way you say it that's cheeky.
- 蓮 Renわかったよ、ごめん。Wakatta yo, gomen.Alright, I'm sorry.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 生意気, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 生意気, CC BY-SA 4.0.
