大人げない
おとなげない
adjective-i
childish; immature; unbecoming of an adult
Conjugation
| Affirmative | Negative | |
|---|---|---|
| Present | 大人げない | 大人げなくない |
| Past | 大人げなかった | 大人げなくなかった |
| て form | 大人げなくて | 大人げなくなくて |
| Adverbial | 大人げなく | — |
| Conditional ば | 大人げなければ | 大人げなくなければ |
| Conditional たら | 大人げなかったら | 大人げなくなかったら |
1.
childish; immature; unbecoming of an adult
Describes behavior that is petty, irritable, or undignified in a way that is inappropriate for a grown-up. Often used self-critically or as a mild rebuke.
大人げないことを言ってしまった。
I ended up saying something childish.
彼の態度は大人げない。
His attitude is childish.
そんなことで怒るなんて、自分でも大人げないと思う。
Getting angry over something like that — even I think it's childish.
Compound of 大人 (adult) + the suffix 〜げ (an appearance, a quality) + ない (not). Literally 'not having the quality of an adult.'
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 大人げない態度: childish attitude
- 大人げない発言: immature remark
- 大人げないことを言う: say something childish
- 大人げない反応: childish reaction
USAGE:
Often applied to small acts of pettiness by an adult — losing temper at a child, refusing to apologize, sulking. Saying 大人げなかった about oneself is a common form of mild self-criticism.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 子供っぽい: childish — broader; describes anything reminiscent of a child, including charm
- 幼稚: infantile — stronger, often critical of intellectual immaturity
- 大人げない: unbecoming of an adult — focuses specifically on the gap between behavior and age