Translation guide
Describes someone who is slow to understand, think, or react. Japanese has several nuanced terms ranging from mild to insulting, often used for being dense, dull, or mentally slow.
To describe someone who takes time to grasp things, not necessarily unintelligent, just a bit slow on the uptake.
Literally 'dull', can refer to physical slowness or mental dullness. Commonly used for being slow-witted or thick-headed.
He's a bit slow-witted, but a kind person.
Colloquial, often used for someone who is slow in action or thought, a bit dopey.
That guy is so slow-witted, he won't get it even if you explain.
Literally 'slow mental rotation', a common phrase meaning slow on the uptake.
He's slow-witted, so jokes don't get through to him.
To describe someone who is stubbornly slow to understand, often missing obvious things.
Insensitive, thick-skinned, or dense. Often used for someone who doesn't pick up on feelings or hints.
She's so dense she doesn't notice his feelings.
Stupid, foolish, or slow-witted. Can be insulting, implying a lack of common sense.
Poor at picking up on things, slow to catch on. Often used for social situations.
To describe someone with low intelligence or cognitive slowness, often used in a derogatory or medical sense.
Using 遅い (おそい) for a person's wit is unnatural. It means physically slow or late. Use 鈍い or 頭の回転が遅い instead.
鈍い (にぶい) is a general adjective for dullness (mental or physical). 鈍感 (どんかん) specifically means insensitive or thick-skinned, often in social contexts.
Making such a dumb mistake...
He's slow on the uptake and can't read the room.
A dull-witted person wouldn't understand.