おこがましい

• Reading: おこがましい
• Romaji: okogamashii
• Pronunciation: /o.ko.ɡa.ma.ɕiː/

Meaning

Presumptuous; audacious; impudent. Describes overstepping one's station or speaking beyond one's qualifications.

An i-adjective used in self-deprecating formulas before offering an opinion or criticism to a superior — おこがましいとは存じますが (I know it is presumptuous of me, but…). This preemptive humility signals awareness of status differences. When said of someone else, it is a rebuke: あの態度はおこがましい (That attitude is outrageous/presumptuous). Appears most often in formal or polite speech.

Examples

1. おこがましいとは思いますが、一言申し上げてもよろしいでしょうか。 I know it may be presumptuous of me, but would it be all right if I said just one word?
2. 先輩にアドバイスをするのはおこがましいと分かりつつも、黙っていられなかった。 I knew it was presumptuous to offer advice to a senior colleague, yet I could not stay silent.
3. おこがましい物言いかもしれませんが、その判断は再考すべきではないでしょうか。 It may be an impudent thing to say, but should that decision not be reconsidered?

Usage Guide

Context: hierarchical speech, apology formulas, criticism, business etiquette

Tone: deferential

Origin & History

Derived from おこがまし, an archaic adjective meaning shameless or impertinent. The root おこ (fool, absurdity) + がまし (seeming, appearing) conveys the sense of behaving foolishly beyond one's standing.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical to Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Educated