Translation guide
This entry covers how to describe a person who is contrary, stubbornly unreasonable, or deliberately goes against what is expected or right. The focus is on natural Japanese expressions for different shades of 'perverseness'.
Describing someone who habitually opposes others or does the opposite of what is asked, often out of stubbornness or a desire to be difficult.
A person who is deliberately contrary, often doing the opposite of what is expected or desired. This is a common and natural term for a perverse or contrary person.
彼は天邪鬼だから、何を頼んでも逆のことをする。
He's such a contrary person; no matter what you ask, he does the opposite.
Literally 'twisted navel', this describes a person who is perverse, cranky, or habitually contrary. It has a slightly colloquial, folksy feel.
あのへそ曲がりの上司は、いつもみんなの意見に反対する。
That perverse boss always opposes everyone's opinions.
Similar to へそ曲がり, meaning a person with a twisted or perverse disposition. Less common, but still understood.
彼女はつむじ曲がりで、素直に人の言うことを聞かない。
She's perverse and won't listen to what people say obediently.
Describing someone who insists on doing things their own unreasonable way, often against logic or good advice.
A straightforward phrase meaning 'a stubborn and unreasonable person'. It captures the sense of perverseness as willful irrationality.
彼は頑固で理不尽な人だから、話し合いにならない。
He's a stubborn and unreasonable person, so you can't have a discussion with him.
A bigoted, narrow-minded, or perversely obstinate person. Often implies a cranky eccentricity.
あの偏屈者は自分の考えが絶対に正しいと思っている。
That perverse person thinks his own ideas are absolutely correct.
Describing someone whose actions or desires are morally corrupt, twisted, or deviant.
Commonly used for a pervert or someone with abnormal sexual desires, but can also mean a person with a twisted or abnormal mentality in a broader sense. Use with caution due to strong connotations.
Often implies sexual deviance. In non-sexual contexts, it can sound exaggerated or insulting.
彼は変態だから、近づかないほうがいい。
He's a pervert, so it's better not to get close to him.
Literally 'a distorted person', used for someone with a twisted personality or warped sense of morality.
彼の歪んだ性格は幼少期の経験に由来する。
His twisted personality stems from childhood experiences.
A clinical or literary term for a person with perverse desires or paraphilia. Rare in everyday speech.
The English phrase 'perverse person' does not have a single direct equivalent in Japanese. The best translation depends heavily on the specific nuance: contrarian, stubbornly unreasonable, or morally twisted. Using a word like 変態 when you mean 'contrary' will cause confusion or offense.
その小説の主人公は倒錯者として描かれている。
The protagonist of that novel is portrayed as a perverse person.