Smart or crazy
Idioms, Stage 1chunk 17 of 21What people are like
What someone's head is like: off its hinges, sharp, a quick thinker, quick to pick things up.
- atama ga okashiicrazy, out of one's mindliterally “the head is strange”
- atama ga kirerusharp, quick and incisiveliterally “the head cuts well (like a blade)”
- atama no kaiten ga hayaiquick-witted, a fast thinkerliterally “the head's spinning is fast”
- nomikomi ga hayaia quick learnerliterally “the swallowing is fast”
Mix-ups atama ga kireru (sharp) is easy to confuse with plain kireru (snap) and with atama ga okashii (crazy). atama no kaiten ga hayai (fast thinker) and nomikomi ga hayai (fast learner) both end in ga hayai.
atama ga okashii
polite atama ga okashii desu
“the head is strange”
crazy, out of one's mind
A blunt jab at someone acting crazy: atama okashii n ja nai? (ga is often dropped in speech), or about a third person, ano hito atama okashii yo. About yourself, atama okashiku narisou (I'm going to lose my mind) is a safe everyday complaint. Harsher than dou ka shiteru (you're not yourself).
About yourself: atama okashiku narisou (I'm going to lose my mind); for just 'weird', hen.
atama okashii n ja nai?
Are you out of your mind?
頭おかしいんじゃない？
Written 頭がおかしい · あたまがおかしいHeard 217× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside dou ka shiteru (Stage 2)Main list n ja nai (Stage 3), -ku naru / -ni naru (Stage 4), hen (Stage 4)
atama ga kireru
polite atama ga kiremasu
“the head cuts well (like a blade)”
sharp, quick and incisive
Said admiringly of a sharp strategist, lawyer or boss, or warily of an opponent: hannin wa atama ga kireru; before a noun, atama no kireru hito. Not kireru alone, which means snap or lose it (ano hito sugu kireru).
Plain: atama ga ii (smart); kireru alone = snap, lose your temper.
ano bengoshi, kanari atama kireru yo.
That lawyer's really sharp.
あの弁護士、かなり頭切れるよ。
ano bengoshi-san wa atama ga kiremasu yo.
That lawyer is very sharp.
あの弁護士さんは頭が切れますよ。
Written 頭が切れる · あたまがきれるHeard 42× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside atama no kaiten ga hayai, nomikomi ga hayaiMain list ano (Stage 1), kanari (Stage 1)
atama no kaiten ga hayai
polite atama no kaiten ga hayai desu
“the head's spinning is fast”
quick-witted, a fast thinker
In English: quick on the uptake
Praise for someone who thinks and answers fast, like a sharp debater or a friend with quick comebacks: atama no kaiten hayai ne. Different from atama ga ii (smart, does well at school); the opposite is atama no kaiten ga osoi.
Close: atama ga kireru (sharp, brilliant) and nomikomi ga hayai (a quick learner).
kare, atama no kaiten hayai yo ne.
He's a really quick thinker.
彼、頭の回転速いよね。
kare wa atama no kaiten ga hayai desu yo ne.
He's very quick-witted, isn't he?
彼は頭の回転が速いですよね。
Written 頭の回転が速い · あたまのかいてんがはやいHeard 17× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside atama ga kireru, nomikomi ga hayaiMain list hayai (Stage 3)
nomikomi ga hayai
polite nomikomi ga hayai desu
“the swallowing is fast”
a quick learner
In English: a quick study
Praise for a new hire, student or kid who picks up a task fast: nomikomi hayai ne! The opposite nomikomi ga warui (slow on the uptake) is often said of yourself: nomikomi ga warukute sumimasen. It's about learning; atama no kaiten ga hayai is about thinking on your feet.
Opposite: nomikomi ga warui (slow to pick things up).
nomikomi hayai ne! mou oboeta no?
You're a quick learner! You've got it already?
飲み込み早いね！もう覚えたの？
nomikomi ga hayai desu ne! mou oboeta n desu ka?
You pick things up fast! You've learned it already?
飲み込みが早いですね！もう覚えたんですか？
Written 飲み込みが早い · のみこみがはやいHeard 10× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside atama ga kireru, atama no kaiten ga hayaiMain list hayai (Stage 3), oboeru (Stage 2), mou (Stage 1)