It’s essential to be able to express your feelings when communicating with others in everyday life. Knowing how to express your emotions in Japanese, including anger, will help you have smoother communication with Japanese people. Although showing anger with swear words isn’t common in Japanese culture, there are various angry phrases in Japanese you can use.
Knowing angry phrases, and how to show that you’re angry in Japanese, will not only help you understand Japanese anime and Japanese TV shows better, but it will also improve your conversation and communication skills.
In this article, we’ll introduce useful angry Japanese expressions and phrases to help you discuss your emotions. Let’s learn various expressions here at JapanesePod101!
Table of Contents
- Angry Imperatives
- Angry Warnings
- Angry Blames
- Describing How You Feel
- Phrases to Calm Someone Down
- Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese
1. Angry Imperatives
The following phrases are commonly used phrases in the imperative form for expressing anger in Japanese.
1 – Shut up.
- 黙れ (damare) — impolite, order form
- うるさい (urusai) — literally means “noisy”
Damare is a very hostile and impolite expression. You probably won’t hear this in daily conversations, but maybe in Japanese anime, especially those that are adventurous or involve lots of battles. Urusai is very casual and it’s a soft way to express “Shut up.”
Example
A: またアイス食べてるの？太るよ。
A: Mata aisu tabete ru no? Futoru yo.
A: “Are you eating ice cream again? You’ll get fat.”
B: うるさいな、ほっといて！
B: Urusai na, hottoite !
B: “Shut up, leave me alone!”
2 – Stop it.
- やめて (yamete) — casual
- やめなさい (yamenasai) — polite, order form
- やめろ (yamero) — impolite, order form
Yamete is a very casual and commonly used expression. Yamenasai is polite and usually said by a person in a superior position toward a person(s) in a lower position. Yamero is a very casual and impolite way to express “Stop it.”
Example
Mari:
やめて！ママ、お兄ちゃんがぶった！
Yamete! Mama, o-nii-chan ga butta!
“Stop it! Mom, my (big) brother hit me!”
Takashi:
マリが先に僕を押してきたんだ！
Mari ga saki ni boku o oshite kita n da!
“Mari pushed me first!”
Mom:
2人ともやめなさい！
Futari tomo yamenasai!
“Both of you, stop it!”
“Stop it, I don’t wanna hear it. ” = Yamete, kikitakunai.
3 – Cut it out.
- やめて (yamete) — casual
- いい加減にして (iikagen ni shite) — casual
Iikagen ni shite is a very useful expression which literally means “Be in good moderation.” It can be translated as “That’s enough,” “Cut it out,” and “Stop it.”
Example
いい加減にして！今すぐやめないと警察を呼ぶよ！
Iikagen ni shite ! Ima sugu yamenai to keisatsu o yobu yo!
“Cut it out! I will call the police if you don’t stop now!”
4 – Leave me alone.
- ほっといてよ (Hottoite yo)
Hottoite yo is a casual expression that’s typically used between people who are in a close relationship, such as family members and close friends.
Example
もう子供じゃないんだから、ほっといてよ！
Mō kodomo ja nai n da kara, hottoite yo!
“I’m not a child anymore, leave me alone!”
“I’m not a kid anymore, leave me alone!” = Mō kodomo ja nai n da kara, hottoite yo!
5 – Get lost.
- 失せろ (usero) — impolite, order form
You’re likely to hear this expression in Japanese anime and movies. Usero is a very impolite and hostile expression which you’ll probably hear used by a very angry Japanese man or yakuza in a movie.
Example
失せろ！２度と姿を現わすな！
Usero! Ni-do to sugata o arawasu na!
“Get lost! Never show up again!”
2. Angry Warnings
Use these angry Japanese phrases to let someone know they’re going too far and it’s time to back off!
1 – Don’t mess with me.
- 私に関わらないで (watashi ni kakawaranaide) — casual
- 俺に関わるな (ore ni kakawaru na) — masculine
Watashi ni kakawaranaide is milder and a bit more feminine, while ore ni kakawaru na is a stronger, masculine expression. They both have the connotation of “Don’t get involved with me.”
There are various Japanese personal pronouns. Watashi is for the unisex “I” in the formal style, but it sounds more feminine in the informal style. Ore is commonly used by men in very casual situations.
Example
私に関わらないで。さもないと、大変な目にあうよ。
Watashi ni kakawaranaide. Samonaito, taihen na me ni au yo.
“Don’t mess with me, or you’ll have a hard time.”
2 – You’re asking for trouble.
- 面倒 / 厄介なことになるよ (mendō / yakkai na koto ni naru yo)
This is a very useful phrase that you can use in many different situations. If you want to say it in a polite way, change the last word to narimasu yo.
Example
そんなことしたら、面倒なことになるよ。
Sonna koto shitara, mendō na koto ni naru yo.
“You’re asking for trouble if you do so.”
3 – Don’t make me say it again.
- 同じことを何度も言わせないで (onaji koto o nan-do mo iwasenaide)
This is another very common phrase you can use in many situations. If you want to say it in a polite way, add the word ください (kudasai) to the end.
Example
片付けをして！同じことを何度も言わせないで。
Katazuke o shite! Onaji koto o nan-do mo iwasenaide.
“Clean up! Don’t make me say it again.”
4 – This is my last warning.
- これが最後の警告だ (kore ga saigo no keikoku da)
You’re likely to hear this Japanese angry phrase in TV shows or movies. If you want to say it in a polite way, change the word だ (da) at the end to です (desu).
Example
これが最後の警告です。次は訴えます。
Kore ga saigo no keikoku desu. Tsugi wa uttaemasu.
“This is my last warning, I will sue you next time.”
5 – I can’t tolerate anymore.
- もう我慢できない (mō gaman dekinai)
- もう耐えられない (mō taerarenai)
These are commonly used angry Japanese sayings when someone can’t stand something anymore. If you want to say it in a polite way, conjugate the negative form ない (nai) to the polite ません (masen).
Example
もう我慢できない！今すぐそのうるさい音楽を止めろ！
Mō gaman dekinai! Ima sugu sono urusai ongaku o tomero!
“I can’t stand anymore! Stop that loud music right away!”
“I can’t tolerate this person anymore !” = Kono hito ni wa mō taerare nai!
6 – Watch your mouth.
- 言葉に気をつけろ (kotoba ni ki o tsukero) — order form
This rough phrase is commonly used by angry Japanese people in TV shows and movies. If you want to say it in a milder way, change the word つけろ (tsukero) to つけなさい (tsukenasai), or even more politely, つけてください (tsukete kudasai).
Example
親に向かってその口の聞き方はなんだ！言葉に気をつけなさい！
Oya ni mukatte sono kuchi no kikikata wa nan da! Kotoba ni ki o tsukenasai!
“Don’t you dare talk to your parent like that! Watch your mouth!”
3. Angry Blames
1 – Who do you think you are?
- 何様のつもり？(nani-sama no tsumori?) — casual
This is a casual phrase that you can use with people you’re close to, such as family or friends. When you want to imply a stronger meaning, add お前 (omae), a rude form of “you,” in front of the phrase.
Example
私に全部家事をやらせて、あなた何様のつもり？私は家政婦じゃないのよ！
Watashi ni zenbu kaji o yarasete, anata nani-sama no tsumori? Watashi wa kaseifu ja nai no yo!
“Who do you think you are to make me do all the house chores? I’m not a housemaid!”
2 – Are you out of your mind?
- 頭おかしいんじゃないの？(atama okashii n ja nai no?) — casual
- 正気ですか (shōki desu ka) — polite
Atama okashii n ja nai no? is a casual phrase that’s used among close friends or family members, while shōki desu ka is a more polite expression that can be used in workplaces.
Example
何でこうしたの？頭おかしんじゃないの？
Nande kō shita no? Atama okashii n ja nai no?
“Why did you do this? Are you out of your mind?”
“How could you say that? Who do you think you are?” = Yokumo sonna koto ieta wa ne, nani-sama no tsumori?
3 – What’s wrong with you?
- あなた一体どうしたの？(anata ittai dō shita no?)
This casual phrase is used to express frustration at someone’s unreasonable behavior.
Example
今すぐやめて！あなた一体どうしたのよ！
Ima sugu yamete! Anata ittai dō shita no yo!
“Stop it right now! What’s wrong with you?”
4 – Listen to me.
- ちゃんと聞いて (chanto kiite) — casual
- ちゃんと聞きなさい (chanto kikinasai) — polite
Chanto kiite is a casual phrase that’s used among family and friends, while chanto kikinasai is the polite and imperative form which is usually used by a superior/senior person to a junior person.
Example
言い訳をやめてちゃんと聞きなさい！
Iiwake o yamete chanto kikinasai !
“Stop making excuses and listen to me!”
5 – It’s your fault.
- あなたのせいだ (anata no sei da)
This phrase is casual and commonly used. When お前 (Omae) is used instead of あなた (anata), it becomes an even stronger expression. This is because お前 (Omae) is a rude way of saying “you.”
Example
全部あなたのせいです。責任とってください。
Zenbu anata no sei desu. Sekinin totte kudasai.
“It’s all your fault. Take responsibility for it.”
6 – It’s none of your business.
- あなたに関係ない (anata ni kankei nai)
This phrase is casual and commonly used. In order to say it more politely, use ありません (arimasen) instead of ない (nai).
Example
これは私的なことで、あなたに関係ありません。
Kore wa shiteki na koto de, anata ni kankei arimasen.
“This is a private matter and none of your business.”
4. Describing How You Feel
Now that you’ve learned how to get angry in Japanese, let’s take a look at how to describe your emotions or why you’re angry.
1 – It’s getting on my nerves.
- イライラする (iraira suru) — casual
This is a casual phrase that’s commonly used. Especially among younger people, 超ムカつく (chō mukatsuku) is also frequently used, and is considered 若者言葉 (youngster language).
Example
彼のそのような態度にイライラする。
Kare no sono yō na taido ni iraira suru.
“His attitude gets on my nerves.”
2 – I’m fed up with it.
- うんざりだ (unzari da)
This phrase is casual and very common to use. By adding する (suru), meaning “do,” or its conjugated form next to うんざり (unzari), you can also use it as a verb.
Example
彼女の言い訳にうんざりします。
Kanojo no iiwake ni unzari shimasu.
“I’m fed up with her excuses.”
3 – I hate it.
- 嫌だ (iya da)
This is a casual phrase that’s frequently used to express one’s discomfort. To say it more politely, use です(desu) instead of だ (da).
Example
嫌だ！歯医者に行きたくない！
Iya da! Haisha ni ikitakunai!
“I hate it! I don’t want to go to the dentist!”
“I hate it! I wanna quit! ” = Iya da! Mō yametai!
4 – I’m disappointed.
- がっかりだ (gagari da) — casual
- 失望しました (shitsubō shimashita) — polite
がっかりだ (gagari da) is the casual phrase, while 失望しました (shitsubō shimashita) is a more polite form that can be used in formal situations.
Example
彼のプレゼンのひどい内容に失望しました。
Kare no purezen no hidoi naiyō ni shitsubō shimashita.
“I’m disappointed with the terrible content of his presentation.”
5. Phrases to Calm Someone Down
1 – Take a deep breath.
- 深呼吸して (shinkokyū shite) — casual
深呼吸 (shinkokyū) is “a deep breath” and して (shite) is the conjugated form of する (suru), meaning “do.” If you want to say it more politely, add the word ください (kudasai) at the end.
Example
頭にきたら、深呼吸して10秒数えてください。
Atama ni kitara, shinkokyū shite jū-byō kazoete kudasai.
“When you get angry, take a deep breath and count ten seconds.”
2 – Calm down.
- 落ち着いて (ochitsuite)
This is a conjugated form of 落ち着く (ochitsuku), which means “relax.” If you want to say it more politely, add the word ください (kudasai) at the end.
Example
騒がず落ち着いてください。
Sawagazu ochitsuite kudasai.
“Please don’t make a fuss and calm down.”
“Let’s take a deep breath and calm down.” = Shinkokyū shite ochitsukimashō.
3 – Write it down.
- 書き出して (kakidashite)
The word 書き出して (kakidashite) consists of 書く (kaku), meaning “write,” and 出す (dasu), meaning “out.” If you want to say it more politely, add the word ください (kudasai) at the end.
In Japanese culture, 写経 (Shakyō) (Sutra copying and writing) of Buddhism is considered the action of calming one’s mind by concentrating only on writing, without thinking about anything else. This is done to empty one’s mind.
Example
ケンカの時は大声を出す前に、紙に嫌なことを書き出して。
Kenka no toki wa ōgoe o dasu mae ni, kami ni iya na koto o kakidashite.
“When quarreling, write down the things you don’t like on paper before yelling.”
4 – Think from a different point of view.
- 違う観点から考えて (chigau kanten kara kangaete)
It’s always good to try to see things from different angles; this also changes the way you think about things.
Example
こんな時は、違う観点から考えてみよう。
Kona toki wa, chigau kanten kara kangaete miyō.
“Let’s think from a different point of view at times like this.”
For more angry phrases in Japanese, and to hear Japanese pronunciation, see
Phrases to Use When You’re Angry.
6. Conclusion: How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese
In this article, we introduced 20+ useful angry phrases in Japanese. Although Japanese people don’t often show angry emotions expressly, it’s helpful to know some angry phrases in Japanese for better understanding and communication.
Do you feel ready to express your anger in Japanese now? Let us know in the comments!
If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language and other useful Japanese phrases for different situations, you’ll find much more helpful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide a variety of free lessons for you to help you improve your Japanese language skills. For example, here’s some more information about expressing emotions in Japanese, with audio:
- Learn the Top 20 Words for Positive Emotions
- Learn the Top 21 Words for Negative Emotions
- Phrases to Express Your Fears
- Words and Phrases to Help You Describe Your Feelings
To learn how to hold conversations in Japanese, check out Top 15 Questions You Should Know for Conversations and Top 10 Conversational Phrases.
And there’s much more! Learn Japanese faster and enjoy studying the language and culture at JapanesePod101.com!
