Copyright © 2026 Kotomora. All Rights Reserved.
へそ曲がり (hesomagari) Japanese meaning: perverseness | Kotomora
Freq. Frequency Top 100,000 Report an issue with this page
から
、
みんな
が
右みぎ
と
言い
えば
左ひだり
に
行い
く
。
He's so contrary that if everyone says right, he goes left.
That perverse attitude is really troublesome.
Related words 天邪鬼あまのじゃく 天邪鬼 also means a contrarian or perverse person, but it carries a more folkloric or playful nuance, often used for someone who deliberately says the opposite. へそ曲がり is more about a stubborn, twisted personality.
頑がん 固こ 頑固 means stubbornness in general, while へそ曲がり specifically implies a perverse or contrary streak, not just inflexibility.
Written forms へそ 曲ま がり Usage 56%
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling.
へそまがり Usage 30%
臍へそ 曲ま がり Usage 11%
Full kanji spelling; 臍 is not a jōyō kanji and is rarely used.
ヘソマガリ Usage 4%
へそ 曲まが り
Variant with simplified okurigana.
臍へそ 曲まが り
Full kanji spelling with simplified okurigana; very rare.
Etymology Literally 'bent navel', from へそ (navel) and 曲がり (bending, crookedness). The phrase figuratively suggests a twisted or warped disposition from birth. The exact origin is uncertain, but it is a native Japanese expression.
