不遜

• Reading: ふそん
• Romaji: fuson
• Kanji breakdown: 不 (fu) — negation; 遜 (son) — modest, deferential
• Pronunciation: /ɸɯsoɴ/

Meaning

Arrogant; insolent; haughty; lacking the humility expected of one's station.

A na-adjective used in formal and written Japanese to criticise attitude or speech that oversteps proper deference. 不遜な態度 and 不遜な物言い are typical collocations. Unlike mere rudeness (無礼), 不遜implies an excess of self-regard — the person believes themselves above others.

Examples

1. 不遜な態度で面接に臨んだ結果、即座に不採用となった。 He was immediately rejected after showing up to the interview with an arrogant attitude.
2. 年長者に対して不遜な物言いをする若者が増えていると嘆く声がある。 There are voices lamenting that more and more young people speak insolently to their elders.
3. 彼の不遜な言動は多くの同僚の反感を買った。 His haughty words and actions earned him the resentment of many colleagues.

Usage Guide

Context: criticism, workplace, social commentary, journalism

Tone: critical

Origin & History

Compound of 不 (not) and 遜 (modest, yielding, deferential). The character 遜 depicts moving aside respectfully; 不遜 means failing to do so — refusing to yield or defer when social convention demands it.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical–Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Universal