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つれない Japanese meaning | Kotomora

つれない

つ

れ

な

い

JLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

i-adjective

cold; indifferent; unkind

Describes a person's attitude or behavior as emotionally distant, unfeeling, or lacking warmth, often in a way that feels hurtful or dismissive.

彼かれは私わたしにつれない態たい度どをとった。
He took a cold attitude toward me.
つれない返へん事じが返

かえ

っ

て

き

た

。

I got an indifferent reply.

Similar words

冷つめたい
冷たい is a more general word for cold temperature or a cold personality. つれない specifically describes a person's unfeeling or dismissive behavior, often in interpersonal contexts.
そっけない
そっけない also means cold or curt, but emphasizes brusqueness or lack of friendliness. つれない carries a stronger nuance of being emotionally distant or unsympathetic.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. It may be related to the classical verb つる (to hang, to connect) with a negative suffix, suggesting a lack of emotional connection, but this is speculative.