頭が回らない · i-adjective
| Form | Positive | Negative |
|---|---|---|
| Dictionary | 頭が回らない | 頭が回らなくない |
| Polite | 頭が回らないです | 頭が回らなくないですalso 頭が回らなくありません |
| Past polite | 頭が回らなかったです | 頭が回らなくなかったですalso 頭が回らなくありませんでした |
| Past | 頭が回らなかった | 頭が回らなくなかった |
| Te-form | 頭が回らなくて | 頭が回らなくなくて |
| Adverbial | 頭が回らなく | |
| Conditional | 頭が回らなければ | 頭が回らなくなければ |
| Tara conditional | 頭が回らなかったら | 頭が回らなくなかったら |
muddleheaded; not thinking straight; brain not working
Describes a state where one's mind is sluggish, unable to think clearly, often due to tiredness, stress, or confusion. The affirmative form is 頭が回る.
See also: 頭が回る (あたまがまわる)
I can't think straight because of lack of sleep.
I was so nervous I couldn't think clearly.
Standard kanji spelling for this expression.
Kana spelling of 回る; common in casual writing.
Idiomatic expression combining 頭 (head/mind) with 回る (to turn/rotate) in the negative form, literally 'the head doesn't turn', figuratively meaning the mind isn't working smoothly.