歯はがゆい

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Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

歯がゆい · i-adjective

Form	Positive	Negative
Dictionary	歯はがゆい	歯はがゆくない
Polite	歯はがゆいです	歯はがゆくないですalso 歯はがゆくありません
Past polite	歯はがゆかったです	歯はがゆくなかったですalso 歯はがゆくありませんでした
Past	歯はがゆかった	歯はがゆくなかった
Te-form	歯はがゆくて	歯はがゆくなくて
Adverbial	歯はがゆく
Conditional	歯はがゆければ	歯はがゆくなければ
Tara conditional	歯はがゆかったら	歯はがゆくなかったら

Meanings

i-adjective

frustrating; irritating; impatient

Describes a situation or one's own feeling of being frustrated or impatient because things are not progressing as desired, often with a sense of being unable to act directly. Can refer to both the feeling and the cause.

彼かれの煮にえ切きらない態たい度どが歯はがゆい。
His indecisive attitude is frustrating.
もどかしくて歯はがゆい思おもいをした。
I felt impatient and frustrated.

See all 6 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉が歯はがゆいto find something frustrating
彼かれの遅おそい返へん事じが歯はがゆい。
His slow reply is frustrating.
歯はがゆい思おもいをするto feel a sense of frustration
何なにもできずに歯はがゆい思おもいをした。
I felt frustrated because I couldn't do anything.
〈人ひと〉のことが歯はがゆいto be frustrated by someone's behavior
なかなか行こう動どうしない彼かれのことが歯はがゆい。
I find it frustrating that he never takes action.

Kanji

歯tooth, cog
痒itchy

Related words

もどかしい
歯がゆい and もどかしい both describe frustration at slow progress, but もどかしい emphasizes being held back or delayed, while 歯がゆい often adds irritation at someone else's actions in a situation you can't control directly.
じれったい
歯がゆい and じれったい both express frustration, but じれったい focuses on personal impatience and annoyance at a delay, whereas 歯がゆい often describes frustration at being unable to act despite wanting to.

Written forms

歯はがゆいUsage66%
Standard kanji-kana mixed spelling; widely used in modern Japanese.
はがゆいUsage21%
歯は痒がゆいUsage14%
Alternate spelling using the less common kanji 痒; still encountered but 歯がゆい is more frequent.

Etymology

Compound of 歯 (ha, 'tooth') + 痒い (kayui, 'itchy'), literally 'tooth-itchy'. The exact derivation is uncertain, but it likely expresses a metaphorical irritation so strong it feels like an itch in the teeth.