気(き)に障(さわ)る

きにさわる

expression

to offend; to annoy; to get on one's nerves

1. to offend; to annoy; to irritate; to get on one's nerves

Describes words, behavior, or things that rub someone the wrong way or cause displeasure. The subject is the thing that offends, not the person offended.

その言(い)い方(かた)は気(き)に障(さわ)る。

That way of saying it is offensive.

気(き)に障(さわ)ることを言(い)ってしまった。

I ended up saying something offensive.

もし気(き)に障(さわ)ったなら謝(あやま)ります。

If I offended you, I apologize.

彼(かれ)の態度(たいど)が気(き)に障(さわ)って、つい怒(おこ)ってしまった。

His attitude got on my nerves, and I ended up getting angry.

Literally "to touch/bump against one's feelings." The verb 障(さわ)る here means to come into unpleasant contact with, to obstruct — distinct from 触(さわ)る (to touch physically). The thing that offends is the grammatical subject (marked by が or は).

Common patterns

気(き)に障(さわ)ることを言(い)う: to say something offensive
気(き)に障(さわ)ったら申(もう)し訳(わけ)ない: sorry if I offended you
何(なに)かが気(き)に障(さわ)る: something rubs one the wrong way

The 障(さわ)る in this expression conjugates as a godan verb: 気(き)に障(さわ)らない (not offend), 気(き)に障(さわ)った (offended).

Similar words

気(き)に入(い)らない: to not like — broader dislike, not specifically about being offended
癪(しゃく)に障(さわ)る: to be irritating — stronger, more visceral annoyance
腹(はら)が立(た)つ: to get angry — focuses on the resulting anger rather than the cause

Related Words

Compare: 腹(はら)が立(た)つ (to get angry)

general

Added 2026.4.3 0:20 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

21500/21524_kinisawaru