Translation guide
Describes hair that is cut short. In Japanese, the most common way is to use the adjective 短い (mijikai) with 髪 (kami), but there are also specific nouns and styles.
彼女は髪が短いです。
She has short hair.
I recently cut my hair short.
A loanword from English, commonly used in fashion and hair salons. Sounds slightly more stylish or technical.
ショートヘアにしたいんですけど。
I'd like to get a short haircut.
A more formal or literary term for short hair. Often used in written descriptions or formal contexts.
彼は短髪で清潔感がある。
He has short hair and looks neat.
To refer to particular types of short haircuts.
Very short hair, like a pixie cut or crop. Common in hair salon terminology.
ベリーショートに挑戦してみた。
I tried a very short haircut.
A short bob cut, typically around chin length or shorter.
ショートボブが流行っている。
Short bobs are in fashion.
A mushroom-style short cut, often with rounded bangs. Popular in certain fashion circles.
マッシュショートにすると若く見える。
A mushroom short cut makes you look younger.
Describing an animal's fur or hair as short.
Used for animals. 毛 (ke) means fur or hair. Same pattern as for humans but with 毛 instead of 髪.
この犬は毛が短い。
This dog has short hair.
A noun meaning 'short hair' or 'short fur', often used in breed descriptions.
短毛種の猫を飼っている。
I have a short-haired breed of cat.
髪が短い is the everyday phrase meaning 'hair is short'. ショートヘア is a noun often used when discussing hairstyles or at the salon. Use 髪が短い for simple descriptions, and ショートヘア when referring to the style as a choice.
友達は髪が短い。
My friend has short hair.
ショートヘアが似合うね。
Short hair suits you.
While 短い髪 (mijikai kami) literally means 'short hair', it is not commonly used as a standalone noun phrase like in English. Instead, use ショートヘア or describe with 髪が短い.
✕ 短い髪が好きです。
I like short hair. (unnatural)
◯ ショートヘアが好きです。
I like short hair.