Translation guide
Expressing stubbornness or refusal to change one's mind in Japanese, ranging from neutral persistence to negative pigheadedness.
He's obstinate, so it's hard to persuade him.
My father has become more obstinate as he's gotten older.
Literally 'to stick to one's will', implying stubbornness out of pride or obstinacy, often in a confrontational way.
She was obstinate and wouldn't apologize.
Means stubborn or headstrong, often with a nuance of being unreasonably obstinate.
That child is obstinate; once he says something, he won't listen.
A stronger, more literary term for stubbornness, implying a perverse or wilful obstinacy.
I'm at my wits' end with his obstinate attitude.
Describing someone who doggedly continues with something, often with a positive or neutral connotation of perseverance.
Means tenacious or persistent, focusing on the ability to keep going without giving up. More positive than 'obstinate'.
He obstinately continued the negotiations.
Means persistent or insistent, often with a negative nuance of being annoyingly obstinate or not knowing when to stop.
An adverbial phrase meaning 'obstinately' or 'firmly', used with verbs of refusal or insistence.
頑固 (stubborn) is usually negative, implying inflexibility. 粘り強い (tenacious) is positive, implying perseverance. Use 頑固 for obstinate refusal to change, and 粘り強い for admirable persistence.
There is no single verb 'to be obstinate' in Japanese. Use adjective/noun phrases like 頑固だ or verb phrases like 意地を張る. Avoid direct translations like オブスティネートである.
彼のしつこい勧誘にうんざりした。
I got fed up with his obstinate sales pitch.
He obstinately refused to change his opinion.