Translation guide
This guide covers how to express the state of being angry in Japanese, from mild irritation to intense rage. It includes common adjectives, verbs, and phrases, with notes on formality and intensity.
He is angry.
My mother is angry at me.
Literally 'stomach stands', meaning to get angry or be pissed off. Often used for personal irritation.
His attitude makes me angry.
Slang for being irritated or pissed off. Very casual, often used by younger people.
The way he talks really pisses me off.
Expressing the act of becoming angry or losing one's temper.
The basic verb for 'to get angry'. Can also mean 'to scold'.
He gets angry easily.
Don't get so angry.
Slang for snapping or losing it. Implies a sudden outburst of anger.
Literally 'comes to head', meaning to get angry or be pissed off. Similar to 腹が立つ.
Expressing strong anger, fury, or rage.
Expressing mild anger or irritation, often ongoing.
Describing an angry look or expression.
Expressing the act of holding back anger.
Avoid directly translating 'being angry' as 怒っていること (okotte iru koto). This is a nominalization and sounds unnatural in most contexts. Use the state form 怒っている or other expressions depending on the nuance.
怒る (okoru) means 'to get angry' and can imply an emotional reaction. 叱る (shikaru) means 'to scold' or 'to reprimand', often with a disciplinary intent. A parent might 叱る a child without being 怒る.
The teacher scolded the student but wasn't angry.
To describe the state of being angry, use the te-iru form: 怒っている (okotte iru). The plain form 怒る (okoru) refers to the action of getting angry or a habitual tendency.
Why are you so angry?
I'm not angry.
He was angry at the unfair treatment.
He finally snapped.
His irresponsibility makes me angry.
To be in a blind rage, to rage wildly.
He stormed out of the room in a rage.
彼女は彼の無礼に苛立った。
She was irritated by his rudeness.
Idiom: 'the string of the patience bag snaps', meaning to lose one's patience and explode in anger.
I finally lost my temper.