Stubborn
Idioms, Stage 3chunk 7 of 22What people are like
Won't bend: won't listen, won't give up, proud, won't make exceptions, rigid thinking.
- kiku mimi o motanairefuse to listen, won't hear a word of itliterally “not have ears that listen”
- akirame ga waruiwon't give up, can't let goliterally “the giving-up is bad”
- iji o harube stubborn out of prideliterally “stretch out one's pride”
- yuuzuu ga kikanaiinflexible, by-the-book, won't make exceptionsliterally “flexibility doesn't work”
- atama ga katairigid, inflexible in one's thinkingliterally “the head is hard”
Mix-ups atama ga katai (rigid) can be confused with kuchi ga katai (discreet). iji o haru (out of pride) can be confused with mie o haru (showing off). kiku mimi o motanai (won't listen) and yuuzuu ga kikanai (won't bend) share kiku/kikanai.
kiku mimi o motanai
polite kiku mimi o motanai n desu
“not have ears that listen”
refuse to listen, won't hear a word of it
In English: turn a deaf ear
A complaint about a parent, partner or boss who won't hear any advice or objection; o is often dropped in casual talk: nani itte mo kiku mimi motanai. Almost always negative, or wished for (sukoshi wa kiku mimi motte yo, have some ears for once); it's refusing to listen, not being unable to hear (kikoenai).
Plain way: zenzen kiite kurenai (just won't listen to me).
nani itte mo kiku mimi motanai n da yo.
Whatever I say, he just won't listen.
何言っても聞く耳持たないんだよ。
nani o itte mo kiku mimi o motanai n desu yo.
No matter what I say, he won't listen.
何を言っても聞く耳を持たないんですよ。
Written 聞く耳を持たない · きくみみをもたないHeard 63× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside akirame ga warui, yuuzuu ga kikanai, atama ga kataiMain list kiku (Stage 2), motsu (Stage 1), iu (Stage 2), -te mo (Stage 2), -nai (Stage 1)
akirame ga warui
polite akirame ga warui desu
“the giving-up is bad”
won't give up, can't let go
In English: not know when to quit
About someone who keeps trying or can't move on, like an ex who keeps texting or a rival who won't concede; also about yourself, half proud: akirame ga warui kara. Less often the opposite, akirame ga ii / hayai (lets go easily). Oujougiwa ga warui is narrower: refusing to admit you've lost.
Verb: akirameru (give up).
watashi, akirame ga warui kara ne.
I don't give up that easily.
私、諦めが悪いからね。
watashi, akirame ga warui n desu yo.
I'm not one to give up easily.
私、諦めが悪いんですよ。
Written 諦めが悪い · あきらめがわるいHeard 8× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside kiku mimi o motanai, yuuzuu ga kikanai, atama ga kataiMain list warui (Stage 1), -kara (Stage 1)
iji o haru
polite iji o harimasu
“stretch out one's pride”
be stubborn out of pride
In English: dig one's heels in
Said to someone refusing help or refusing to apologise out of pride (iji haranaide yo), or about yourself after a fight: tsui iji hatchatta. Atama ga katai is about rigid ideas; this is about pride. Not mie o haru (show off).
Noun: ijippari (a stubborn person).
tsui iji hatchatta.
I let my pride get in the way.
つい意地張っちゃった。
tsui iji o hatte shimaimashita.
I ended up being stubborn about it.
つい意地を張ってしまいました。
Written 意地を張る · いじをはるHeard 25× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside mie o haru (Stage 4)Main list -chau (Stage 1)
yuuzuu ga kikanai
polite yuuzuu ga kikimasen
“flexibility doesn't work”
inflexible, by-the-book, won't make exceptions
The staple complaint about a boss, clerk or system that won't make an exception: yuuzuu kikanai na. Mostly negative; yuuzuu ga kiku (flexible) is praise. Atama ga katai is about ideas; this is about rules and requests.
Opposite: yuuzuu ga kiku (flexible, accommodating).
uchi no buchou, honto yuuzuu kikanai n da yo.
My boss just won't bend the rules.
うちの部長、ほんと融通利かないんだよ。
uchi no buchou wa hontou ni yuuzuu ga kikanai n desu yo.
Our manager really won't make any exceptions.
うちの部長は本当に融通が利かないんですよ。
Written 融通が利かない · ゆうずうがきかないHeard 18× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside kiku mimi o motanai, akirame ga warui, atama ga kataiMain list uchi (Stage 1), -nai (Stage 1), n da yo (Stage 3), honto ni (Stage 1)
atama ga katai
polite atama ga katai desu
“the head is hard”
rigid, inflexible in one's thinking
In English: set in one's ways
The usual complaint about bosses, parents or teachers who won't accept new ideas: atama katai na, with ga dropped. It means closed-minded, not stupid (that's atama ga warui); it also teases someone stuck on a riddle or a new way of doing things: atama katai naa.
Opposite: atama ga yawarakai (flexible); single word: ganko (stubborn).
uchi no oya, atama katai n da yo.
My parents are so set in their ways.
うちの親、頭固いんだよ。
uchi no oya wa atama ga katai n desu yo.
My parents are rather old-fashioned in their thinking.
うちの親は頭が固いんですよ。
Written 頭が固い · あたまがかたいHeard 12× in 3.17 million lines of film and TV subtitlesLearn alongside kiku mimi o motanai, akirame ga warui, yuuzuu ga kikanaiMain list uchi (Stage 1), n da yo (Stage 3)