堅かた苦くるしい

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JLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

堅苦しい · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	堅かた苦くるしい	堅かた苦くるしくない
Polite	堅かた苦くるしいです	堅かた苦くるしくないですalso 堅かた苦くるしくありません
Past polite	堅かた苦くるしかったです	堅かた苦くるしくなかったですalso 堅かた苦くるしくありませんでした
Past	堅かた苦くるしかった	堅かた苦くるしくなかった
Te-form	堅かた苦くるしくて	堅かた苦くるしくなくて
Adverbial	堅かた苦くるしく
Conditional	堅かた苦くるしければ	堅かた苦くるしくなければ
Tara conditional	堅かた苦くるしかったら	堅かた苦くるしくなかったら

Meanings

i-adjective

stiff; formal; ceremonious; strict

Describes a person, atmosphere, or manner that is overly formal, rigid, or lacking warmth and ease. Often used for social situations, rules, or writing style.

彼かれの挨あい拶さつはいつも堅かた苦くるしい。
His greetings are always stiff and formal.
このレストランは堅かた苦くるしくなくて、気き楽らくに入はいれる。
This restaurant isn't stuffy, so you can go in casually.

See all 29 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

堅かた苦くるしい〈物もの〉a stiff, overly formal ~ (greeting, atmosphere, speech, etc.)
堅かた苦くるしい挨あい拶さつは苦にが手てです。
I'm not good with overly formal greetings.
堅かた苦くるしく考かんがえるto think about something too rigidly or formally
そんなに堅かた苦くるしく考かんがえなくてもいいよ。
You don't have to be so rigid about it.
堅かた苦くるしいのはやめてto drop the formality, to stop being so stiff
堅かた苦くるしいのはやめて、楽らくにしてください。
Please drop the formality and relax.

Kanji

堅strict, hard, solid
苦suffering, trial, worry
固harden, set, clot

Related words

格かく式しきばる
格式張る stresses strict adherence to formal ceremony and can be neutral or positive, while 堅苦しい carries a negative sense of uncomfortable stiffness.
窮きゅう屈くつN1
窮屈 describes a cramped, restrictive feeling (physical or social), while 堅苦しい focuses specifically on excessive formality in manner or atmosphere.
厳げん格かくN1
厳格 describes strictness of rules or a person's character, whereas 堅苦しい describes a stiff, uneasy formality in tone or atmosphere.
生真面目きまじめN1
堅苦しい describes an atmosphere or manner that feels stiff and formal, while 生真面目 describes a person's overly earnest, humorless personality.

Opposites

気き楽らくN2
気楽 describes a relaxed, carefree attitude, the opposite of the stiff formality expressed by 堅苦しい.
洒しゃ落らくN1
堅苦しい describes someone stiff and overly formal, the opposite of the relaxed, unpretentious manner conveyed by 洒落.

Don't confuse with

硬かたいN4
堅い means physically or figuratively 'hard/firm', while 堅苦しい uses the same kanji but means 'stiffly formal' in manner or atmosphere.

Written forms

堅苦しいUsage84%
- かたくるしい
  Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
- かたぐるしい
  irregular kana usage
固かた苦くるしいUsage9%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; not a standard spelling.
かた苦くるしいUsage4%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; not a standard spelling.
かたくるしいUsage2%
Kana spelling; used when the kanji is avoided or for clarity.
堅かたくるしいUsage1%
search-only kanji form
Search-only kanji form; not a standard spelling.
かたぐるしい
irregular kana usage

Etymology

Compound of 堅 (kata, 'hard, stiff') + 苦しい (kurushii, 'painful, difficult'). The combination yields the sense of something being so stiff and formal that it feels oppressive or uncomfortable.