A1 Idiom Neutre

気が短い

ki ga mijikai

Short-tempered

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use this to describe someone who gets angry or impatient very easily.

  • Means: Having a short fuse or being quick to lose patience.
  • Used in: Describing personality traits or explaining why someone is rushing.
  • Don't confuse: It describes a person's nature, not just a temporary mood.
Short fuse + fire icon = {気が短い|きがみじかい}

Explanation at your level:

This phrase means someone gets angry or impatient very fast. It is used to talk about personality.
Use '{気が短い|きがみじかい}' to describe people who lose their temper easily. It is a common way to explain why someone is acting impatient or frustrated in daily life.
This idiom describes a personality trait characterized by low tolerance for waiting or frustration. It is often used in casual conversation to describe friends or family members who have a 'short fuse'.
The phrase functions as an i-adjective to denote a lack of patience. Culturally, it highlights the importance of 'ki' (spirit) management in Japanese society, where emotional regulation is highly prioritized.
As a lexicalized idiom, '{気が短い|きがみじかい}' encapsulates the Japanese cultural preference for 'long-spirited' (patient) behavior. It serves as a diagnostic descriptor for individuals who struggle with impulse control or delayed gratification.
This idiom provides a window into the cognitive mapping of emotions in Japanese, where the 'ki' is spatialized as having length. Being 'short-spirited' is a pejorative characterization of one's inability to maintain emotional equilibrium under temporal pressure.

Signification

Easily irritated or quick to anger.

🌍

Contexte culturel

Patience is a core value. Being short-tempered is often seen as a sign of emotional immaturity. Many East Asian cultures share the concept of 'ki' or 'qi', where emotional balance is vital for health and social harmony.

🎯

Use the noun!

In professional settings, using the noun '{短気|たんき}' is often more natural than the full idiom.

Signification

Easily irritated or quick to anger.

🎯

Use the noun!

In professional settings, using the noun '{短気|たんき}' is often more natural than the full idiom.

Teste-toi

Which phrase describes someone who gets angry easily?

彼は____です。

✓ Correct ! ✗ Pas tout à fait. Rponse correcte : {気が短い|きがみじかい}

{気が短い|きがみじかい} means short-tempered, while {気が長い|きがながい} means patient.

🎉 Score : /1

Aides visuelles

Questions fréquentes

1 questions

Yes, it's common to say '私は{気が短い|きがみじかい}です' to explain why you might be rushing.

Expressions liées

🔗

{気|き}が{長|なが}い

contrast

Patient

🔄

{短気|たんき}

synonym

Short temper

Où l'utiliser

⏳

Waiting in line

A: まだかな？

B: そんなに{気が短い|きがみじかい}と{疲|つか}れるよ。

informal
🗣️

Discussing a friend

A: 彼はいつも{怒|おこ}ってるね。

B: うん、{本当|ほんとう}に{気が短い|きがみじかい}んだ。

neutral

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Imagine a short fuse on a firecracker that goes 'POP' immediately.

Visual Association

A person tapping their foot impatiently while looking at a watch.

Story

Ken is always in a rush. He hates waiting for the train. His friends say, 'Ken is {気が短い|きがみじかい}!' He tries to breathe deeply to stay calm.

Word Web

{短気|たんき}{気|き}が{長|なが}い{怒|おこ}る{待|ま}つ{性格|せいかく}{忍耐|にんたい}

Défi

Observe your own patience today. If you feel annoyed, say '{気|き}が{短|みじか}くなっている' to yourself.

In Other Languages

Spanish high

Tener poca paciencia

Japanese uses a physical metaphor (short/long) while Spanish is direct.

French moderate

Avoir le sang chaud

French focuses on the 'heat' of the blood, Japanese on the 'length' of the spirit.

German high

Ungeduldig sein

German is literal, Japanese is metaphorical.

Japanese n/a

{気が短い|きがみじかい}

The standard for comparison.

Arabic high

قليل الصبر (Qaleel al-sabr)

Arabic is descriptive, Japanese is idiomatic.

Easily Confused

気が短い vs {気|き}が{小|ちい}さい

Learners confuse 'short' (mijikai) with 'small' (chiisai).

Mijikai = temper/time; Chiisai = courage/size.

FAQ (1)

Yes, it's common to say '私は{気が短い|きがみじかい}です' to explain why you might be rushing.

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