How to say "quick-tempered" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 性急せいきゅうna-adjective, nounA common word whose core sense is haste: it describes someone who acts rashly or in too much of a hurry. Use it when 'quick-tempered' means hasty rather than quick to flare up.
- 気早きばやna-adjective, nounA less common word covering the impatient side of 'quick-tempered': someone who cannot wait and loses patience quickly. The nuance is impatience rather than outright anger.
- 気が短いきがみじかいexpression, i-adjectiveA less common phrase, literally 'one's temper is short': it describes a person with little patience who flares up quickly over delays and small annoyances.
- 気の短いきのみじかいi-adjectiveIdentical in meaning to 気が短い — quick-tempered, impatient; this is simply the form with の, used when the phrase comes directly before the noun it describes.
- 短腹たんぱらna-adjectiveA less common word combining 'quick-tempered' with 'easily offended' — someone quick to take offense. Unless that nuance is exactly what you want, it is seldom the word you need.
For haste and rashness choose 性急; for impatience and a short fuse choose 気早, 「気が短い」 or its pre-noun form 「気の短い」; 短腹 centers on taking offense easily.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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