Translation guide
This adjective describes a tough, practical, and unsentimental attitude. It can refer to a person who is realistic and determined, or to an approach that is uncompromising and businesslike.
Describing a person who is realistic, determined, and not swayed by emotions.
Means 'realistic' and is the most direct and common way to describe a hard-nosed person who deals with things as they are.
Describing an approach, decision, or attitude that is strictly practical and without sentiment.
Direct translations like '鼻が硬い' (hana ga katai) are nonsensical in Japanese. Use the suggested adjectives or phrases instead.
He is a very hard-nosed businessman.
Literally 'severe-handed,' this implies a tough, uncompromising attitude, often in criticism or judgment.
She is a hard-nosed negotiator.
A loanword from English 'dry,' used to describe a person who is unsentimental and businesslike.
He has a hard-nosed personality.
Means 'not swayed by emotions,' capturing the unsentimental aspect of being hard-nosed.
She makes hard-nosed decisions.
The company took a hard-nosed stance.
Means 'cold-hearted' or 'ruthless,' emphasizing the lack of sentiment in a hard-nosed approach.
He made a hard-nosed decision.
Means 'utilitarian' or 'pragmatic,' focusing on practical benefits, often used in business contexts.
The policy was decided from a hard-nosed perspective.