怒る
okoru[o̞ko̞ɾɯ̟]
To be angry in Japanese is 怒る (okoru).
The verb 怒る is used to express feeling or showing strong annoyance or hostility toward someone or something. While it translates to 'to be angry', it is frequently used to describe the moment someone loses their temper or the sudden action of becoming angry, rather than just the general feeling of annoyance.
Which one should you use?
While 怒る can mean 'to be angry', it often emphasizes the sudden action of becoming angry or the act of expressing anger.
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe a continuous state of being angry, use the progressive form 怒っている.
How do you pronounce it?
okoru
Did you know?
- In Japanese, you might use the word 腹が立つ (hara ga tatsu), which literally translates to 'one's stomach stands up', to express that you are angry.
- In Japanese, the word 怒る can be used both as an intransitive verb meaning 'to be angry' and a transitive verb meaning 'to scold'. This means the same word can describe your internal emotion or the act of reprimanding someone else.
- In traditional Japanese culture, expressing anger openly through 怒る was often seen as a lack of self-control, leading to the concept of 'reading the air' to resolve conflicts without using the word at all.
Examples in context
- 君が怒るのももっともだ。You have good reason to be angry.This sentence is useful for showing that someone has good reason to use the form 怒る.Tatoeba #178922 by small_snow, translation #17776 by CK
- トムが怒る理由は無かった。Tom had no reason to be angry.This sentence is useful for showing that someone had no reason to use the form 怒る.Tatoeba #893243 by thyc244, translation #681852 by Source_VOA
- 「彼（かれ）は怒（いか）りを催（もよお）しているように見（み）える。」He looks like he's deeply angry.
- 「彼（かれ）が怒（おこ）っているよ。」He's angry, you know.
- 「先生（せんせい）にひどく怒（いか）られた。」I got scolded terribly by the teacher.
- 上司（じょうし）が私（わたし）に怒（おこ）っているようです。It seems like my boss is angry with me.
- 彼（かれ）がむかつくなあ。He's really irritating me.
- そんなことで怒る必要はないよ。Sonna koto de okoru hitsuyou wa nai yo.There is no need to get angry over something like that.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yota forgot to do a chore and Misaki is upset.
- 陽太 Yota美咲、怒ってる？Misaki, okotteru?Misaki, are you angry?
- 美咲 Misakiうん、本当に怒るよ。Un, hontou ni okoru yo.Yes, I really am angry.
- 陽太 Yotaごめん、もう怒らないで。Gomen, mou okoranaide.Sorry, please don't be angry anymore.
- 美咲 Misaki次からは気をつけてね。Tsugi kara wa ki o tsukete ne.Please be careful from next time.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 怒る, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
