How to say "childish" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 稚拙ちせつna-adjective, nounUse it for work that is childish in the sense of unskillful or amateurish — a drawing or piece of writing that looks like a child's clumsy attempt, not for someone's childish behavior.
- 幼稚ようちna-adjective, nounUse it to call behavior, remarks, or an attitude childish — immature and babyish like a small child's; it can also describe something undeveloped or primitive.
- 幼いおさないi-adjectiveDescribes thinking or behavior as childishly immature, like a small child's; it also simply means that a child is very young, so it can be purely descriptive rather than critical.
Choose 幼稚 to call behavior or remarks childish and immature, 「幼い」 for the childlike immaturity of a young child or of someone's thinking, and 稚拙 for work that is childish in the sense of unskillful or amateurish.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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