癪しゃくに障さわる

JLPTN1

Meanings

1

expression, godan verb (-ru)

to annoy; to irritate; to get on one's nerves

Expresses that something or someone's behavior is irritating or offensive, often in a personal, emotional way. Commonly used in casual conversation.

彼かれの言いい方かたがいちいち癪しゃくに障さわる。
Every little thing about the way he talks gets on my nerves.

あの

店てん

員いん

の

態たい

度ど

は

本ほん

当とう

に

癪しゃく

に

障さわ

っ

た

。

That clerk's attitude really irritated me.

Written forms

癪しゃくに障さわる
Standard kanji spelling; 癪 is a common kanji for this expression.
しゃくに障さわる
Mixed kana-kanji spelling; often used when 癪 is considered difficult or uncommon.
癪しゃくにさわる
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; 障る is sometimes written in kana.
癪しゃくに触さわる
irregular kanji usage
Irregular kanji usage; 触る is not standard for this expression.

Kanji

癪spasms, (kokuji)
障hinder, hurt, harm
触contact, touch, feel

Similar words

腹はらが立たつ
More general anger; 癪に障る emphasizes a specific trigger that feels personally offensive or grating.
むかつく
Slangy and visceral; 癪に障る is slightly more formal and often implies a reasoned irritation.

Etymology

The word 癪 (しゃく) originally referred to a type of abdominal cramp or spasm, and by extension came to mean a fit of anger or irritation. The phrase 癪に障る literally means 'to touch one's 癪', i.e., to provoke that irritable feeling. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the expression has been used since the Edo period.