Kind or nasty
Idioms, Stage 1chunk 4 of 21What people are like
How someone treats others, good or bad: thoughtful, trusting, really nasty, teasingly mean.
- ki ga kikuthoughtful, attentive; (of a remark or gift) clever, aptliterally “the mind works”
- hito ga iigood-natured and trusting (often too much so)literally “the person is good”
- tachi ga waruinasty, vicious, hard to deal withliterally “the nature is bad”
- hito ga waruisly, mean (in a teasing way)literally “the person is bad”
Mix-ups hito ga ii and hito ga warui are not opposites: warui is a teasing 'that's mean', while tachi ga warui is truly nasty. ki ga kiku can be mistaken for the literal ki ga tsuku (notice).
ki ga kiku
polite ki ga kikimasu
“the mind works”
thoughtful, attentive; (of a remark or gift) clever, apt
Praise for someone who does what's needed before being asked, like refilling drinks: ki ga kiku ne! (kiku here means 'work well', not 'listen'). Before a noun it often describes words or gifts: ki no kiita koto ga ienai (I can't think of anything clever to say). To a boss, skip the praise and just say thank you.
Opposite: ki ga kikanai (thoughtless).
ki ga kiku ne, arigatou!
That's so thoughtful, thanks!
気が利くね、ありがとう！
ki ga kikimasu ne, arigatou gozaimasu!
How thoughtful of you, thank you!
気が利きますね、ありがとうございます！
Written 気が利く · きがきくHeard 76× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside ki o kubaru (Stage 2)Main list arigatou (Stage 1)
hito ga ii
polite hito ga ii desu
“the person is good”
good-natured and trusting (often too much so)
In English: too nice for one's own good
Said with fondness and worry about someone who trusts everyone or can't refuse, often as hito ga yosugiru (way too nice). Not the same as ii hito (a nice person): the idiom hints at naive; hito ga warui is not its opposite but means sly.
Single word: ohitoyoshi (a soft touch, too trusting).
mata hikiuketa no? hito ga yosugiru yo.
You said yes again? You're too nice.
また引き受けたの？人が良すぎるよ。
mata hikiuketa n desu ka? hito ga yosugimasu yo.
You took that on again? You're too kind for your own good.
また引き受けたんですか？人が良すぎますよ。
Written 人がいい · ひとがいいHeard 53× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside tachi ga warui, hito ga waruiMain list hito (Stage 3), ii (Stage 1), -sugiru (Stage 4)
tachi ga warui
polite tachi ga warui desu
“the nature is bad”
nasty, vicious, hard to deal with
For something nasty or hard to deal with: a cruel prank, a scam, a cold that won't go away, or a person who hurts others on purpose (tachi warui yo, tachi no warui joudan); a mean drunk is nomu to tachi ga warui. Much stronger than hito ga warui, which is only playful slyness.
Also written タチが悪い or 質が悪い; tachi alone is someone's nature (sou iu tachi = that's how I am).
sono joudan, tachi warui yo.
That joke's just nasty.
その冗談、たち悪いよ。
sono joudan wa tachi ga warui desu yo.
That's a rather nasty joke.
その冗談はたちが悪いですよ。
Written たちが悪い · たちがわるいHeard 41× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside hito ga ii, hito ga waruiMain list warui (Stage 1)
hito ga warui
polite hito ga warui desu
“the person is bad”
sly, mean (in a teasing way)
A mild, often fond complaint when someone teased you, kept a secret or let you worry for nothing: mou, hito ga warui naa. Not the opposite of hito ga ii, and far lighter than tachi ga warui or seikaku ga warui (nasty).
nan da, shitteta no? hito ga warui naa.
You knew all along? That's sneaky.
なんだ、知ってたの？人が悪いなあ。
shitteta n desu ka? hito ga warui desu ne.
You knew? That's a bit sneaky of you.
知ってたんですか？人が悪いですね。
Written 人が悪い · ひとがわるいHeard 39× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside hito ga ii, tachi ga waruiMain list hito (Stage 3), warui (Stage 1)