How to say "affected" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- na-adjective, nounCovers the 'affected' sense meaning pretentious or putting on airs, with a disapproving, colloquial nuance. Typical of casual criticism of someone's manner of speaking or acting as smug and self-important.
- 不自然ふしぜんna-adjective, nounCovers 'affected' in the sense of artificial or strained, describing behavior or manner that does not come across as natural. Often the more neutral way to express this; the pretentious nuance is secondary to its basic meaning 'unnatural'.
For the 'affected' meaning pretentious or showy, use 「きざ」; for behavior or manner that seems unnatural or strained, use 不自然 — the latter is usually the safer, more neutral choice.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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