ガードが固い · i-adjective
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | ガードが固い | ガードが固くない |
| Polite | ガードが固いです | ガードが固くないですalso ガードが固くありません |
| Past polite | ガードが固かったです | ガードが固くなかったですalso ガードが固くありませんでした |
| Past | ガードが固かった | ガードが固くなかった |
| Te-form | ガードが固くて | ガードが固くなくて |
| Adverbial | ガードが固く | |
| Conditional | ガードが固ければ | ガードが固くなければ |
| Tara conditional | ガードが固かったら | ガードが固くなかったら |
having one's guard up; not showing weak points
Used when someone is cautious, defensive, or unwilling to reveal vulnerabilities, often in competitive or confrontational contexts.
resisting romantic advances; distrustful of potential love interests; prudish
Specifically describes a woman who is wary of being hit on and keeps men at a distance; often written ガードが堅い.
He always has his guard up and rarely says what he really thinks.
In the negotiation, the other party was very guarded.
She has her guard up and doesn't start dating anyone right away.
Standard spelling for the general sense of having one's guard up.
Often used for the specific sense of a woman resisting romantic advances; the kanji 堅い suggests a firm, unyielding stance.
Combines the loanword ガード (guard) with the Japanese adjective かたい (hard, firm). The phrase likely emerged from sports or martial arts terminology and extended metaphorically to interpersonal defensiveness.