Translation guide
A person who looks down on others based on social status, taste, or knowledge. Japanese expresses this through specific personality terms, often tied to education, wealth, or cultural refinement.
Describe someone who acts superior or looks down on people they consider beneath them.
Describe someone who is snobbish about knowledge, art, music, or refined tastes.
Verb phrase meaning 'to act like an intellectual snob'. Combines 'intellectual' with 'to act like'.
彼はいつも知識人ぶって難しい本の話をする。
He always acts like an intellectual snob, talking about difficult books.
Describe someone who looks down on others based on family background, wealth, or social standing.
Refers to the tastes of the nouveau riche, often implying snobbish and ostentatious behavior. Can describe a person or their style.
彼の家の内装は成金趣味だ。
The interior of his house is snobbish nouveau riche style.
スノッブ is a direct loanword and often refers to intellectual or cultural snobbery, while 俗物 implies a vulgar, materialistic snob. 俗物 is more literary and less common in everyday speech.
彼はスノッブだが、俗物ではない。
He's a snob, but not a vulgar one.
There is no single perfect Japanese word for 'snob'. Using スノッブ is safe in many contexts, but often a descriptive phrase like 鼻にかける or 上から目線 is more natural. Avoid directly translating 'snob' as 俗物 unless you intend a literary or harsh tone.
彼はワインにうるさい。
He's a wine snob.
Often expressed as 'picky about wine' rather than using a direct 'snob' word.
Direct loanword from English. Commonly used in modern Japanese to mean a snob, especially in cultural or intellectual contexts.
彼はちょっとスノッブなところがある。
He can be a bit of a snob.
Literally 'vulgar person', but used for someone who is materialistic, status-conscious, and snobbish. Often implies a lack of true refinement.
彼は金持ちだが、ただの俗物だ。
He's rich, but he's just a snob.
Idiomatic phrase meaning 'to be snobbish about something' or 'to look down on others because of something'. Used as a verb phrase.
彼女は学歴を鼻にかけている。
She is snobbish about her educational background.
Someone who puts on airs of being a gentleman, often with a snobbish attitude. Literally 'gentleman pretender'.
彼の紳士気取りにはうんざりだ。
I'm fed up with his snobbish gentleman act.
Someone who pretends to be a cultured person, often with snobbish overtones. Literally 'culture person pretender'.
彼女の文化人気取りな態度が鼻につく。
Her snobbish cultured attitude is annoying.
To act like a connoisseur or expert, often in a snobbish way. '通' means connoisseur, and 'ぶる' means to act like.
彼はワインに通ぶっているけど、実はあまり知らない。
He acts like a wine snob, but he actually doesn't know much.
Phrase meaning 'strongly class-conscious'. Describes someone who is very aware of social class and may act snobbishly because of it.
彼は階級意識が強くて、いつも出身校で人を判断する。
He is very class-conscious and always judges people by their alma mater.
Literally 'looking down from above', this common phrase describes a condescending or snobbish attitude. Not limited to class, but often used for social snobbery.
彼の上から目線の物言いが嫌いだ。
I hate his snobbish, condescending way of speaking.