大人しい

• 読み: おとなしい
• ローマ字: otonashii
• 漢字の分解: 大 (dai/oo) — big, large; 人 (jin/hito) — person
• 発音: /o.to.na.ɕiː/

意味

Quiet; docile; well-behaved. Describes someone or something that is calm and obedient.

An i-adjective used for both people and animals. When describing people, it implies a gentle, non-confrontational personality. Can carry a slight nuance of being too passive. Often used for children who behave well (大人しい子) or pets that are calm and obedient.

例文

1. この犬はとても大人しくて飼いやすい。
2. 彼は大人しい性格だから目立たない。
3. 子どもたちが大人しく座っているのは珍しい。

使い方ガイド

場面: personality, children, pets

トーン: gentle

起源と歴史

Derived from 大人 (otona, adult) with the adjective suffix しい, originally meaning 'adult-like' or 'mature in manner.' Over time, the meaning shifted to emphasise the quiet, composed behaviour associated with maturity.

文化的背景

時代: Classical

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal