How to say "cheeky" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 生意気なまいきna-adjective, nounCovers the impertinent, saucy sense of 'cheeky': talking back or acting big, especially a child or junior being sassy toward an elder. It is about the sassy manner, not shamelessness.
- 図々しいずうずうしいi-adjectiveCheeky in the sense of forward and brazen: acting with no sense of shame, imposing on people or taking liberties without a trace of embarrassment. It condemns the behavior itself, not just the tone.
- 馴れ馴れしいなれなれしいi-adjectiveMatches 'cheeky' only in the overfamiliar sense: someone too friendly or too free with a person they barely know, overstepping the proper distance. For other senses of 'cheeky' this is not the word.彼は私の妻になれなれしすぎだ。↗He is getting far too familiar with my wife.
- 厚かましいあつかましいi-adjectiveCheeky as shameless, brazen audacity: asking or demanding without embarrassment, showing no sense of imposing. Largely overlaps with 図々しい; the contrast with 生意気 is that this condemns shamelessness, not sassy talk.
For the impertinent, saucy 'cheeky' use 生意気; for shameless, brazen behavior choose 「図々しい」 or 「厚かましい」, which stress shamelessness over sass; 「馴れ馴れしい」 fits only 'cheeky' meaning overfamiliar.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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