神経質な（しんけいしつな、shinkeiしtsuna）
- nervous

The Japanese word 神経質な (しんけいしつな) describes someone who is nervous, sensitive, or high-strung. It implies a tendency to worry excessively, be easily agitated, and pay close attention to details, sometimes to an unhealthy degree. The word suggests a personality trait, a characteristic of being easily bothered or stressed by things. The word 神経質な also carries the nuance of being overly concerned or anxious about small things. It can sometimes imply a slightly negative judgment, suggesting the person is difficult to please or is overly cautious. The word 神経質 can be translated as "nervous," "sensitive," or "high-strung" in English. When it takes the form 神経質, it describes the state of being anxious or irritable.

⚫︎彼はとても神経質な性格です。 Translation: He has a very nervous personality. ⚫︎神経質な人なので、少しの音でも気になります。 Translation: Because she is a nervous person, she gets bothered by even the slightest sounds. ⚫︎神経質な奥さんは、家の掃除にとてもこだわります。 Translation: The meticulous housewife is very particular about cleaning the house.

You can use 神経質な to describe people, their behaviors, or situations that reflect anxiety or sensitivity. When describing a person, you use the adjective form 神経質な before a noun. You could also use the noun form 神経質 in sentences like "彼は神経質だ" (He is nervous). You can also use the word to describe someone's actions, like someone who is easily startled. This word is appropriate in most contexts where you want to describe someone's temperament. However, consider the person you are talking to and the context, as the word can be considered critical if used in an impolite tone.

神経質な is written with the kanji 神経 and the adjective ending な. The hiragana reading is しんけいしつな. The kanji 神経 means "nerve" or "sensitivity." The word can also be used as a noun, 神経質 (しんけいしつ), meaning "nervousness" or "sensitivity." In this case, the adjective ending な is dropped. There are no other common ways to write this word. The okurigana is standard.

⚫︎ 心配性 (しんぱいしょう) - anxious; worried ⚫︎ 敏感な (びんかんな) - sensitive; susceptible ⚫︎ デリケートな - delicate; sensitive ⚫︎ 気難しい (きむずかしい) - difficult to please; touchy ⚫︎ 細心な (さいしん) - meticulous; careful (can be positive or negative depending on context)

⚫︎ おおらかな - carefree; easygoing ⚫︎ 大ざっぱな (おおざっぱな) - rough; sloppy; careless ⚫︎ 平気な (へいきな) - indifferent; unconcerned; calm ⚫︎ 楽観的な (らっかんてきな) - optimistic

彼は神経質なので、大きな音を聞くとすぐに驚きます。 ・Translation: Because he is nervous, he gets startled easily when he hears loud noises. ・Explanation: This sentence describes a person's tendency to be easily startled because they are 神経質.

彼女はとても神経質で、少しでもミスがあると落ち込んでしまう。 ・Translation: She is very sensitive and gets depressed if she makes even a small mistake. ・Explanation: This sentence explains a woman who is 神経質 is prone to getting upset because of mistakes.

The word 神経質な is formed from 神経 (しんけい), which means "nerves" or "sensitivity," and the adjective ending な. The term 神経 itself comes from Chinese, where 神 (shin/jin) means "spirit," "mind," or "god" and 経 (kei) means "channels" or "meridians," referring to the pathways of energy in the body. The word evolved to describe someone with an active or worried mind, and the addition of な turns it into an adjective, making it describe a characteristic.