几帳面

• Reading: きちょうめん
• Romaji: kichoumen
• Kanji breakdown: 几 (ki) — table, desk; 帳 (chō) — curtain, screen; 面 (men) — face, surface
• Pronunciation: /ki.tɕoː.meɴ/

Meaning

Methodical; meticulous; precise; punctual. Describes someone who is very careful and orderly.

A na-adjective praising someone who pays careful attention to detail, follows rules precisely, and keeps things orderly. Used for personality descriptions (几帳面な人 — a meticulous person), work habits (几帳面に整理する — to organise meticulously), and punctuality. Generally positive, though it can imply inflexibility when used critically.

Examples

1. 彼は几帳面な性格で部屋がいつも片付いている。 He has a meticulous personality, and his room is always tidy.
2. 几帳面に家計簿をつけている妻を尊敬する。 I admire my wife for keeping the household budget meticulously.
3. あの人は時間にも几帳面で遅刻したことがない。 That person is punctual too, and has never been late.

Usage Guide

Context: personality description, daily life, workplace, self-introduction

Tone: positive

Origin & History

From 几帳 (kichō, a partitioning screen used in Heian-era nobility) + 面 (men, surface/face). The 几帳 had meticulously finished edges (几帳面), and the precision of that craftsmanship became a metaphor for a meticulous personality.

Cultural Context

Era: Heian period

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal