How to say "hysterical" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- na-adjectiveThe direct borrowing and the common word for the emotional sense of 'hysterical' — someone overwrought, screaming or panicking and beyond self-control. This is the one learners will normally want.
- ヒステリー性ヒステリーせいno-adjectiveA less common equivalent, essentially ヒステリー plus the suffix 性; it presents 'hysterical' as an attribute or condition, and for everyday description of an overwrought person ヒステリック remains the usual choice.
- 頓狂とんきょうna-adjective, nounA less common word that really means wild, freakish or madcap behavior rather than emotional hysteria; it fits 'hysterical' only in that loose sense, and is seldom what you want for an overwrought person.
- 素っ頓狂すっとんきょうna-adjectiveAn emphatic variant of 頓狂 with the same wild, freakish, madcap sense; it does not convey emotional hysteria, and as a less common word it is seldom the right choice for 'hysterical'.
Choose 「ヒステリック」 for a person overwrought or screaming with emotion; 「ヒステリー性」 is a less common equivalent for hysteria as a quality; 頓狂 and 「素っ頓狂」 mean wild, freakish or madcap, not emotionally hysterical.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
