Translation guide
A mental health condition involving long-term patterns of thinking and behaving that differ from cultural expectations, causing distress or problems functioning.
Referring to the clinical concept of a personality disorder in general.
Naming a particular personality disorder, such as borderline or narcissistic.
Attach the specific type name before 人格障害. Common types include 境界性 (borderline), 自己愛性 (narcissistic), 反社会性 (antisocial).
Talking about someone's difficult personality in everyday conversation, not necessarily a clinical diagnosis.
Literally 'has a problem with their personality'. Used colloquially to suggest someone has a personality disorder or is just very difficult.
This phrase can be judgmental and is not a clinical term. Use with care.
Directly saying 「人格障害」 in casual conversation can sound overly clinical or stigmatizing. Use softer expressions like 「性格に問題がある」 unless you are discussing a formal diagnosis.
Standard medical/psychological term. Used in formal and clinical contexts.
He was diagnosed with a personality disorder.
Katakana loanword from English, common in psychological literature and some clinical settings.
Treatment for personality disorders takes time.
Borderline personality disorder is characterized by emotional instability.
Alternative using the katakana term. Often used in academic or translated materials.
People with narcissistic personality disorder have difficulty with empathy.
I think that person has a personality disorder / serious personality issues.
Means 'their personality is warped'. Stronger and more negative, implying a fundamental flaw.
He has a warped personality, so he's hard to get along with.