神しん経けいが細ほそい

Meanings

oversensitive; thin-skinned; high-strung

Describes a person who is easily hurt, worried, or stressed by small things; often used critically or self-deprecatingly. The variant 神経の細い is also common.

Kanji

神gods, mind, soul
経sutra, longitude, pass thru
細dainty, get thin, taper

Related words

神しん経けい質しつ
神経質 is a na-adjective meaning 'nervous' or 'high-strung' in a more general, personality-focused way, while 神経が細い specifically emphasizes being easily hurt or overly sensitive to minor things.
デリケート
デリケート is a loanword meaning 'delicate' or 'sensitive', often used for both people and situations, but 神経が細い is more colloquial and carries a slightly negative nuance of being too sensitive.

Built from

神しん経けい+細ほそい

Etymology

The expression literally means 'one's nerves are thin', metaphorically suggesting a fragile or easily affected mental state. The exact origin is uncertain, but it is a common idiomatic phrase in modern Japanese.