トラブルメーカー
toraburumēkā
The English word 'troublemaker' can be translated into Japanese as トラブルメーカー (toraburumēkā).
トラブルメーカー is used to describe someone who causes trouble, especially when done deliberately. Other ways to express this concept exist depending on the person's age and the nature of the behavior: やんちゃ者 describes someone who is mischievous or enjoys causing a bit of trouble, while イタズラっ子 refers specifically to a mischievous or prank-loving individual, commonly used for children.
Meaning: one who causes trouble, especially deliberately (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
toraburumēkā
Did you know?
- To describe someone who creates trouble in a workplace, Japanese people often use 問題児 'mondaiji', which literally translates to 'problem child' regardless of the person's actual age.
- The word やんちゃ used in やんちゃ者 originally described the behavior of rebellious young samurai or rough street youths in the Edo period.
- While トラブルメーカー comes from English, it is a 'wasei-eigo' word, meaning it was coined in Japan. It is used much more frequently in Japanese daily conversation than 'troublemaker' is in natural English speech.
Examples in context
- 彼は組織内の迷惑者 (Meiwakusha) として知られています。He is known as a troublemaker within the organization.
- 彼は本当にやんちゃ者 (Yanchamono) だけど、みんなに愛されています。He's a real troublemaker, but everyone loves him.
- 彼女の弟はイタズラっ子 (Itazurakko) で、いつも面白いことを考えています。Her younger brother is a troublemaker who always comes up with funny ideas.
- あの子はいたずら坊主 (Itazurabōzu) だから、いつも笑ってしまいます。That kid is such a troublemaker, they always make me laugh.
- 彼はクラスのトラブルメーカーだ。Kare wa kurasu no toraburumēkā da.He is a troublemaker in the class.
- 新しいトラブルメーカーが来た。Atarashii toraburumēkā ga kita.A new troublemaker has arrived.
- トラブルメーカーを放っておいて。Toraburumēkā o hōtte oite.Leave the troublemaker alone.
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are talking about a new coworker.
- 健太 Kenta新しい同僚はどうですか？Atarashii dōryō wa dō desu ka?How is the new colleague?
- 美咲 Misakiちょっとしたトラブルメーカーみたいです。Chotto shita toraburumēkā mitai desu.They seem to be a bit of a troublemaker.
- 健太 Kentaえっ、何かあったんですか？Eh, nanika atta n desu ka?What, did something happen?
- 美咲 Misakiはい、もう何度も揉めています。Hai, mō nando mo momete imasu.Yes, they've already had several arguments.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “troublemaker” translations and entries トラブルメーカー, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
