Translation guide
Describes a child who shows unusually advanced abilities, maturity, or knowledge for their age. Japanese expressions vary by nuance: intellectual advancement, emotional maturity, or adult-like behavior.
Describing a child who is academically or intellectually ahead of peers.
The most direct equivalent for 'precocious', often used for intellectual or artistic talent. Neutral to slightly formal.
彼は早熟な子供で、5歳でピアノを弾き始めた。
He was a precocious child and started playing piano at age five.
Common colloquial phrase meaning 'precocious' or 'mature for one's age'. Often used for children who act or talk like adults. Can be used for intellectual or behavioral precocity.
あの子はませていて、大人みたいなことを言う。
That kid is precocious and says things like an adult.
Literally 'to display talent from an early age'. Used when emphasizing early demonstration of ability.
彼女は早くから才能を発揮し、10代で小説を出版した。
She was precocious, displaying talent early and publishing a novel in her teens.
Describing a child who shows unusual emotional depth, understanding, or social awareness.
Also used for emotional precocity. Implies a child who understands adult matters or behaves in a mature way.
彼女はませていて、恋愛ドラマの内容を理解している。
She is precocious and understands the content of romance dramas.
Means 'to seem adult-like'. Often used for appearance or demeanor, but can imply emotional maturity.
その子は大人びていて、落ち着いた話し方をする。
That child is precocious and speaks in a calm, mature way.
Can also cover emotional precocity, but more commonly used for intellectual/artistic talent.
Criticizing a child for acting beyond their years in an inappropriate or annoying way.
Used when a child says something cheeky or overly mature. Often carries a slightly negative or amused tone.
ませたことを言うんじゃないの。
Don't say such precocious things.
Colloquial and somewhat dated; means a child is impertinent or acts too clever. Often used in scolding.
こましゃくれた口をきくな。
Don't talk back like a precocious brat.
早熟 (そうじゅく) is a formal, written term often used for intellectual or artistic precocity. ませている is colloquial and covers both intellectual and behavioral precocity, and can carry a negative nuance when the child is seen as impertinent.
There is no single verb 'to be precocious' in Japanese. Use adjectives or descriptive phrases. Do not try to translate 'be' directly.
早熟な子供は時に同年代の友達と馴染めないことがある。
Precocious children sometimes have trouble fitting in with peers their own age.