賢さかしら

さ

か

し

ら

Meanings

Describes someone who acts clever or knowledgeable in an annoying, presumptuous way; often used for a person who gives unwanted advice or opinions. Slightly old-fashioned but still understood.

彼かれの賢さかしらな態たい度どには腹はらが立たつ。
His know-it-all attitude is irritating.
賢さかしらに口くちを出だすな。
Don't butt in with your presumptuous opinions.

Kanji

賢intelligent, wise, wisdom

Related words

生なま意い気き
生意気 is more common and colloquial for 'cheeky' or 'impudent', while 賢しら has a nuance of acting clever or knowledgeable in a presumptuous way, and is less frequently used.
差さし出でがましい
差し出がましい focuses on being meddlesome or forward, whereas 賢しら emphasizes the know-it-all, clever-acting aspect.

Written forms

賢さかしらUsage62%
Standard kanji spelling; the reading さかしら is the only reading given.
さかしらUsage38%
Kana spelling is common in modern writing, especially when the kanji is considered difficult or old-fashioned.

Etymology

Derived from 賢し (sakashi, 'clever') + suffix ら (expressing a state or manner). The exact historical development is uncertain, but it has been used since classical Japanese to describe presumptuous cleverness.