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Word 1176 of 2252

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きつい

tight, tough

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Examples

  1. 靴がきつくて足が痛い。

    くつがきつくてあしがいたい。

    My shoes are tight and my feet hurt.

  2. この仕事はきつい。

    このしごとはきつい。

    This job is tough.

  3. 言い方がきついと、相手は傷つく。

    いいかたがきついと、あいてはきずつく。

    If you say it harshly, the other person gets hurt.

  4. スケジュールがきつくて休めない。

    スケジュールがきつくてやすめない。

    The schedule is so tight I can't take a break.

Common patterns

きつい仕事
hard, demanding work
言い方がきつい
to speak harshly
スケジュールがきつい
a tight schedule

Memory tip

One word, three everyday uses: physically tight (clothes), physically demanding (work, schedule), and verbally harsh (性格がきつい, 言い方がきつい). It is casual spoken Japanese — in writing you would reach for 厳しい or 苦しい instead.

Quick check

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What does きつい mean?