Translation guide
Describes someone who is slow to understand, think, or react. In Japanese, this is expressed through nouns, adjectives, and idiomatic phrases that emphasize mental dullness, slowness, or lack of sharpness.
To refer to someone who is generally slow to understand or think.
Literally 'insensitive person', but commonly used for someone who is slow on the uptake or oblivious. It implies a lack of mental sharpness or awareness.
彼は鈍感な人だから、冗談が通じない。
He's a slow-witted person, so jokes don't get through to him.
A colloquial and slightly derogatory term for a slowpoke or dimwit. It emphasizes slowness in action or thought.
あいつはのろまだから、説明しても無駄だ。
That guy is a slow-witted person, so explaining is useless.
A stronger, more insulting term for a dimwit or blockhead. Used in casual, often harsh contexts.
うすのろ！何度言ったらわかるんだ。
You slow-witted person! How many times do I have to tell you?
To describe a person with low intelligence or slow cognitive processing.
Literally 'person with a bad head', meaning someone who is not smart or slow-witted. A straightforward, common phrase.
彼は頭が悪い人だから、難しい話は避けたほうがいい。
He's a slow-witted person, so it's better to avoid difficult topics.
A dated and now often offensive term for someone with intellectual disability or mental slowness. Use with caution; it can be derogatory.
This term is considered insensitive and outdated. Prefer more neutral expressions unless quoting or in historical context.
彼は知恵遅れだと陰で言われている。
He is called a slow-witted person behind his back.
A literary term for a dull or slow-witted person, often used in contrast to '天才' (genius).
To describe a person who is slow to understand jokes, hints, or social cues.
Means 'bad at sensing/understanding' and is used for someone who doesn't pick up on things quickly. Often used for social slowness.
彼女は察しが悪いから、はっきり言わないと伝わらない。
She's a slow-witted person, so if you don't say it clearly, she won't get it.
Literally 'slow to swallow/understand', meaning someone who takes time to grasp new concepts or instructions.
新人は飲み込みが遅いけど、真面目だ。
The new guy is a slow-witted person, but he's diligent.
An adjective meaning slow, sluggish, or dim-witted. Often used in casual speech to describe someone's mental or physical slowness.
There is no single Japanese word that perfectly matches 'slow-witted person'. Using a literal translation like '遅い知恵の人' would be unnatural. Instead, choose from the options based on the specific nuance (general slowness, lack of intelligence, or poor social awareness).
鈍感 (donkan) implies insensitivity or obliviousness, often to feelings or atmosphere. のろま (noroma) emphasizes slowness in action or thought, and can be playful or insulting. 察しが悪い (sasshi ga warui) specifically refers to being bad at reading between the lines or picking up on hints.
He is a slow-witted person, but he works hard.
That kid is a slow-witted person, so it takes time to learn the game rules.