騒々しい

• Reading: そうぞうしい
• Romaji: souzoushii
• Kanji breakdown: 騒 (sou/sawagu) — noise, commotion, agitation
• Pronunciation: /soː.zoː.ɕiː/

Meaning

Noisy; boisterous; clamorous; rowdy. Describes an environment or person producing excessive, disruptive noise or commotion.

An i-adjective describing auditory or situational chaos. It can refer to an environment (騒々しい場所, a noisy place) or a person who is disruptive and loud. Also used figuratively for a turbulent social or political climate (世情が騒々しい, the world is unsettled). The reduplication 騒々 intensifies the base character 騒 (commotion), conveying a sense of continuous, overwhelming noise. More emphatic than うるさい.

Examples

1. 隣のテーブルが騒々しくて、話し相手の声がまったく聞こえなかった。 The table next to us was so boisterous that I couldn't hear a word my companion was saying.
2. 選挙期間中は街が騒々しくなり、静かに過ごすのが難しくなる。 During election season the streets become clamorous, making it hard to find any peace and quiet.
3. 騒々しい教室を静めるのに、先生はかなりの時間を費やした。 The teacher spent a considerable amount of time trying to settle the rowdy classroom.

Usage Guide

Context: noise, social environment, classroom, daily life

Tone: negative

Origin & History

From 騒 (sou/sawagu, to make noise/to be agitated) with the reduplication marker 々 and i-adjective suffix しい. The kanji 騒 combines 馬 (horse) with 蚤 (flea), evoking a horse maddened by fleas—hence frantic agitation and noise.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal