生なま意い気き

な

ま

い

き

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

Describes someone, often younger or lower in status, who acts overly confident or disrespectful. Commonly used in phrases like 生意気なことを言う or 生意気だ.

あの子こは本ほん当とうに生なま意い気きだ。
That kid is really cheeky.
生なま意い気きな口くちをきくな。
Don't talk back to me like that.

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Usage patterns

生なま意い気きなことを言いうto say cheeky/impertinent things
あの子こはよく大人おとなに生なま意い気きなことを言いう。
That kid often says cheeky things to adults.
生なま意い気きな口くちをきくto talk back impertinently
新しん入にゅう社しゃ員いんが上じょう司しに生なま意い気きな口くちをきいた。
The new employee talked back cheekily to his boss.
生なま意い気きな態たい度どをとるto adopt a cocky/disrespectful attitude
弟おとうとは先せん輩ぱいに対たいして生なま意い気きな態たい度どをとった。
My little brother acted cocky toward his senior.

Kanji

生life, genuine, birth
意idea, mind, heart
気spirit, mind, air

Related words· 7

図ずう々ずうしいN3
図々しい stresses shameless, thick-skinned behavior in general, while 生意気 specifically describes disrespectful overconfidence, often from someone younger or lower-ranked.
厚あつかましいN2
厚かましい describes brazen, unreasonable requests or behavior, whereas 生意気 focuses on a disrespectful attitude or talking back.
傲ごう慢まん
傲慢 is a more formal, stronger word for arrogance rooted in a sense of superiority, while 生意気 is casual and often used about children or juniors acting cocky.
偉えらそう
偉そう describes acting high-and-mighty or bossy, while 生意気 specifically implies disrespect from someone who hasn't earned the right to act that way.

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生なまN3
生意気 is the full, standard word for impudent or cheeky, while 生 is only a rough colloquial abbreviation of it, as in なま言うな.
きざN1
気障 describes someone acting affectedly stylish or superior in an irritating way, while 生意気 describes cheeky, disrespectful attitude especially from someone who should show more humility.
反はん抗こう的てきN2
反抗的 focuses on open defiance of authority or rules, whereas 生意気 describes a cheeky, impudent attitude that can occur even without any authority being challenged.

Opposites

謙けん虚きょN2
謙虚 means humble and modest, the direct opposite of the disrespectful overconfidence described by 生意気.
殊しゅ勝しょう
生意気 describes a cocky, impudent attitude, the opposite of the humble, admirable attitude praised by 殊勝.

Don't confuse with

口くち答ごたえN1
生意気 is an adjective describing a cheeky, impertinent attitude in general, while 口答え is a noun naming the specific act of talking back.

Word family

小こ生なま意い気き
impudent; cheeky; impertinent
生なま意い気き盛ざかり
cheeky; brash; sassy

Built from

生なま+意い気き

Etymology

Derived from 生 (なま, 'raw, fresh') and 意気 (いき, 'spirit, vigor'), suggesting a raw, unrefined spirit that oversteps its bounds. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the compound has been used since the Edo period to describe impertinence.