The Meaning of kizou [気障] In Japanese

気障
きぞう
Romaji: kizou N4

What does 気障 mean?

Translation and Meaning

pretentiousness, affectation, showy behavior

Definition

What does 気障 mean? It denotes pretentious, showy, or artificial behavior intended to impress others, often perceived as insincere or affected by someone trying too hard to seem refined.

Type

na-adjective (な-adjective)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Primary meaning: ostentatious display or manner intended to signal status or refinement.
  • Connotation and usage: pejorative; describes speech, gestures, or outfits that feel contrived rather than natural.
  • Grammatical use: can describe a person (気障な人) or behavior, sometimes in literary or media contexts.

Composition

  • 気 — energy, mood, spirit; here relates to one’s demeanor and impression
  • 障 — obstacle, barrier; conveys blocking or hindering sincerity from coming through
  • Combined meaning: a deliberate display that creates a barrier to natural expression, yielding a showy or artificial impression

Usage

Used in casual and semi-formal speech to label individuals or actions; typically negative, applied to speech, posture, clothes, or behavior that comes across as artificial; often found in conversations, opinion pieces, reviews, and social media commentary.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine a performer striking a bold pose while their inner energy (气) is blocked by a literal obstacle (障); the louder the pose, the stronger the barrier to genuine feeling.

Variations

  • 見栄を張る (mie o haru) — to show off; romaji mie o haru
  • 派手 (hade) — flashy; romaji hade
  • 仰々しい (gyougyoushii) — pompous; romaji gyougyoushii
  • 地味 (jimi) — plain, not showy; romaji jimi

Example Phrases

  • 友達の前で 「気障」 な ポーズを 取って 目立とうとする。
    Tomodachi no mae de kishō na pōzu o totte medatō to suru.
    He poses pretentiously in front of his friends to stand out.
    Lista:
    • 友達の前で (Tomodachi no mae de) – in front of friends
    • 「気障」 (kishō) – pretentiousness
    • な (na) – na-adjective linking particle
    • ポーズを (pōzu o) – pose (object marker)
    • 取って (totte) – taking
    • 目立とうとする。 (medatō to suru) – to try to stand out
    「気障」 is a noun used with な to form 気障な, meaning pretentious/showy; here it describes ポーズ.
気障