耳が痛い
mimi ga itai
ja
en
Change language
Translating...
hit close to home, be hard to hear
/mimi ga itai/
Add to My Dictionary
In My Dictionary
+1
A remark stings because it accurately points to one’s own fault or weakness.
Examples
節約の話は浪費家の彼にとって耳が痛いだろう。
Talk of saving money will hit close to home for that spendthrift.
時間を守れという忠告は、遅刻が多い私には耳が痛い。
The advice to be punctual hits close to home for someone like me who is often late.
彼女の指摘は正しくて耳が痛かった。
Her criticism was right and hard to hear.
部下の率直な意見には耳が痛い部分もあった。
Parts of my staff member’s frank feedback stung because they were true.
自分の弱点を言い当てられて耳が痛い。
Having my weakness named so exactly is painful to hear.
Meanings
Examples
時間を守れという忠告は、遅刻が多い私には耳が痛い。
The advice to be punctual hits close to home for someone like me who is often late.
彼女の指摘は正しくて耳が痛かった。
Her criticism was right and hard to hear.
節約の話は浪費家の彼にとって耳が痛いだろう。
Talk of saving money will hit close to home for that spendthrift.
自分の弱点を言い当てられて耳が痛い。
Having my weakness named so exactly is painful to hear.
部下の率直な意見には耳が痛い部分もあった。
Parts of my staff member’s frank feedback stung because they were true.
Etymology
The physical pain of an ear is used metaphorically for the discomfort of hearing an accurate criticism.
FAQ
A remark stings because it accurately points to one’s own fault or weakness.
It is read みみがいたい, written mimi ga itai.
Used about criticism or advice that the listener knows applies to them; it is not a description of physical ear pain.
How is 耳が痛い different from 耳障り?
耳障り describes an unpleasant sound or wording; this idiom hurts because a criticism is personally accurate.
How does 耳が痛い change in a sentence?
A fixed expression; 痛い inflects as 耳が痛かった. The person affected is often marked by には or にとって.
Comments & contributions
Know this word from another angle? Add a correction, a nuance, or a usage note. New posts go public after a quick review.
No comments yet. Be the first to add one.