いずい

いずい
i-adjective (dialect)
uncomfortable; irritating (Tohoku dialect)
informalcolloquialdescriptivehealth
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Presentいずいいずくない
Pastいずかったいずくなかった
て formいずくていずくなくて
Adverbialいずく
Conditional ばいずければいずくなければ
Conditional たらいずかったらいずくなかったら
1. uncomfortable; irritating; ill-fitting
Tohoku dialect adjective describing a subtle physical or emotional discomfort that is difficult to pinpoint but persistently bothersome.
There's something in my eye and it's irritating.
This shirt is uncomfortable around the neck.
なんかいずい(かん)する
Something feels uncomfortably off.

Dialect

Tohoku (東北(とうほく)) dialect, particularly common in Miyagi, Iwate, and surrounding prefectures.

Standard equivalent

No exact equivalent exists in standard Japanese. Closest expressions:

Usage

いずい describes a specific type of discomfort that is:

  • Subtle but persistent
  • Difficult to describe precisely
  • Often physical (clothing, something in your eye) but can be emotional
  • Not painful, but definitely not comfortable

EXAMPLES OF いずい SITUATIONS:

  • A tag in your shirt scratching your neck
  • Something small stuck between your teeth
  • Shoes that almost fit but not quite
  • An awkward social situation

Cultural note

いずい is famous as a "untranslatable" Japanese dialect word, as standard Japanese lacks a single word that captures this specific type of discomfort.