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煙たい

けむたい

smoky; (of a person) hard to be around; awkward to face

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Examples

  1. 部屋が煙たい。

    へやがけむたい。

    The room is full of smoke.

  2. あの人は煙たい。

    あのひとはけむたい。

    I feel uncomfortable around him.

  3. 正論ばかり言う部下は、上司にとって煙たい存在になりがちだ。

    せいろんばかりいうぶかは、じょうしにとってけむたいそんざいになりがちだ。

    A subordinate who only ever states the obvious truth tends to become someone the boss would rather avoid.

Common patterns

煙たい存在
someone people would rather keep at a distance
煙たがられる
to be found hard to be around
たばこの煙が煙たい
the cigarette smoke stings

Memory tip

The literal smoke sense extends to people: someone whose presence makes you want to back away — strict, upright, or too senior. Do not confuse with 煙い (けむい), which only means smoky, or with 疎ましい, which is closer to loathing.

Kanji in this word

Quick check

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What does 煙たい mean?