Translation guide
In Japanese, expressing anger depends on the intensity, context, and whether you're describing your own anger or someone else's. Common words include 怒る (okoru) for general anger, 腹が立つ (hara ga tatsu) for personal irritation, and キレる (kireru) for losing one's temper. Politeness and indirectness are often preferred.
To say someone is angry or mad in a general sense, often used in everyday conversation.
The most common verb for 'to get angry' or 'to be angry'. Can be used for both momentary anger and a general state.
The te-iru form of 怒る, meaning 'is angry' (current state). Use this to describe someone being angry right now.
He is still angry.
Literally 'stomach stands', meaning to get irritated or angry. Very common for personal annoyance.
His attitude makes me angry.
Slangy, casual expression for feeling irritated or pissed off. Common among younger people.
The way he talks really pisses me off.
To describe a sudden, intense outburst of anger, like snapping or blowing up.
Means to snap, lose one's temper, or flip out. Very common in casual speech.
He finally snapped.
Literally 'anger explodes'. More dramatic and often used in writing or formal descriptions.
His anger exploded.
Literally 'comes to the head', meaning to get really angry or lose one's cool.
To express lingering anger or resentment over time.
To express anger at something unjust or insulting, often with a sense of moral outrage.
To be indignant, resentful. Stronger and more righteous than 怒る. Often used in formal contexts.
The citizens were indignant at the government's response.
Literally 'cannot stomach it', meaning to be unable to tolerate an injustice. Very strong and somewhat old-fashioned.
I could not stomach that injustice.
To describe the visible signs of anger, like facial expressions or tone.
Saying 私は怒っている (watashi wa okotte iru) is grammatically correct but can sound overly direct or childish. Japanese speakers often use phrases like 腹が立つ (hara ga tatsu) or describe the situation instead of stating their emotion directly.
I got a bit angry. (more natural than 私は怒った)
怒る (okoru) means to get angry, while 叱る (shikaru) means to scold or reprimand. A parent might 叱る a child without being 怒る, though they often overlap.
My mother scolded me, but she wasn't angry.
彼の無責任さには頭にくる。
His irresponsibility makes me furious.
彼女は小さなことでも根に持つ。
She holds a grudge even over small things.
My boss approached me with an angry look.