Translation guide
How to express that something feels forced, artificial, or not normal in Japanese, depending on the context.
Describing something that feels contrived, not spontaneous, or overly affected.
The most direct and common translation for 'unnatural' in the sense of being artificial, forced, or not natural. Used for behavior, speech, situations, etc.
His smile was unnatural.
The conversation felt unnatural.
Implies something is obviously forced or done on purpose, often with a negative nuance of being overacted or insincere.
Her surprise seemed forced/unnatural.
Means 'artificial' or 'contrived', emphasizing that something was intentionally made to appear a certain way. More formal and less common in daily speech.
The staging was contrived and didn't move me.
Describing something that deviates from what is normal or expected in nature.
Means 'abnormal' or 'unusual', often used for weather, behavior, or situations that are out of the ordinary. Can carry a negative connotation.
This year's heat is unnatural/abnormal.
Can also be used for phenomena that seem unnatural, but is more common for human actions or creations.
Describing a situation or atmosphere that feels strained or not relaxed.
Describes an awkward, uncomfortable atmosphere between people. Often used for silences or situations where people feel ill at ease.
An unnatural/awkward silence continued.
Can also describe an awkward atmosphere, but is less specific than 気まずい.
Describing an action that is not typical for a person.
Attach to a noun or pronoun to mean 'not like ~'. Very common for saying something is out of character.
It's unnatural for him to get angry; it's not like him.
Literally 'not the usual ~', used to point out that someone is acting differently.
You're not yourself today; you're acting unnatural.
不自然 is a general term for unnaturalness, while わざとらしい specifically implies that the unnaturalness is due to someone trying too hard or faking something. Use わざとらしい when you want to criticize overacting or insincerity.
Avoid directly translating 'unnatural' as 自然じゃない in most contexts. While grammatically correct, it sounds simplistic and is not idiomatic. Use 不自然 or other specific terms instead.
この静けさは不自然だ。
This silence is unnatural.
彼らの関係はどこか不自然だ。
Their relationship seems somewhat unnatural.