うざい
uzai
The English phrase "you're annoying me" is expressed in Japanese as うざい (uzai).
うざい is used to indicate that someone or something is irritating or bothersome. While it can be used to describe people, it is also frequently used to describe situations, weather or repetitive tasks that are bothersome.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
うざい is a slangy and highly informal way to express that something is annoying. It is an abbreviation of the more formal adjective 煩わしい.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can add the suffix すぎる to the end of うざい to create the meaning うざすぎる, which means "too annoying" or "excessively annoying".
How do you pronounce it?
uzai
Did you know?
- In certain youth subcultures, うざい can be used ironically between very close friends as a term of endearment, similar to how 'stop it' might be said with a smile.
- The slang term うざい traces its roots back to the Tama area of Tokyo in the 1930s, long before it became a common nationwide expression.
- Because うざい is so blunt, saying it to a stranger or a superior in Japan is considered significantly more aggressive than saying 'you are annoying' in English.
Examples in context
- ちょっとうるさいな、やめてよ。You're being a bit annoying, stop it.
- もう本当に迷惑だから、やめてくれない？It's really bothering me, so could you stop?
- もうくどい！黙ってよ！You're so annoying! Just stay quiet!
- その言い方、うざい。Sono iikata, uzai.That way of talking is annoying.
- さっきから、うざいんだけど。Sakki kara, uzai n dakedo.You've been annoying me for a while now.
- あいつ、本当にうざい。Aitsu, hontō ni uzai.That guy is really annoying.
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are studying together in a library.
- 健太 Kenta美咲、さっきからペン回すの、うざいよ。Misaki, sakki kara pen mawasu no, uzai yo.Misaki, you spinning your pen is annoying me.
- 美咲 Misakiごめん、そんなつもりじゃなかったんだ。Gomen, sonna tsumori janakatta n da.Sorry, I didn't mean to do that.
- 健太 Kenta集中したいから、静かにして。Shūchū shitai kara, shizuka ni shite.I want to concentrate, so please be quiet.
- 美咲 Misakiわかった、気をつけるね。Wakatta, ki o tsukeru ne.Okay, I'll be careful.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries うざい, CC BY-SA 4.0.
