いらいら

Japanese

Alternative spellings
苛々 刺々 苛苛 刺刺

Etymology

Reduplication of 刺 (ira, “thorn”).

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) いらいら [íꜜràìrà] (Atamadaka – [1]) (adverb, verb)
• (Tokyo) いらいら [ìráírá] (Heiban – [0]) (noun)
• IPA^(key): [iɾa̠iɾa̠]

Adverb

いらいら or イライラ • (iraira) 

1. irritatedly
2. having an unpleasant feeling like that caused by thorns pricking one's skin repeatedly
   • 1906, 夏目漱石, 草枕‎^[1], 青空文庫:

     刺(とげ)に手(て)を触(ふ)れて見(み)ると、いらいらと指(ゆび)をさす。

     Toge ni te o furete miru to, iraira to yubi o sasu.

     When I touched its thorns with my hand, they pricked my fingers.

3. describes the intense stimulation caused by light or heat: blistering

Usage notes

Often used with と (to).

Verb

いらいらする or イライラする • (iraira suru) suru (stem いらいらし (iraira shi), past いらいらした (iraira shita))

1. to be irritated

   そんないらいらするなよ。

   Sonna iraira suru na yo.

   Don't get so worked up.

2. to have an unpleasant feeling like that caused by thorns pricking one's skin repeatedly
3. (of light or heat) to cause intense stimulation: blaze, beat down

Conjugation

Conjugation of "いらいらする" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)

Katsuyōkei ("stem forms")
Mizenkei ("imperfective")	いらいらし	iraira shi
Ren’yōkei ("continuative")	いらいらし	iraira shi
Shūshikei ("terminal")	いらいらする	iraira suru
Rentaikei ("attributive")	いらいらする	iraira suru
Kateikei ("hypothetical")	いらいらすれ	iraira sure
Meireikei ("imperative")	いらいらせよ¹ いらいらしろ²	iraira seyo¹ iraira shiro²
Key constructions
Passive	いらいらされる	iraira sareru
Causative	いらいらさせる いらいらさす	iraira saseru iraira sasu
Potential	いらいらできる	iraira dekiru
Volitional	いらいらしよう	iraira shiyō
Negative	いらいらしない	iraira shinai
Negative continuative	いらいらせず	iraira sezu
Formal	いらいらします	iraira shimasu
Perfective	いらいらした	iraira shita
Conjunctive	いらいらして	iraira shite
Hypothetical conditional	いらいらすれば	iraira sureba
¹ Written imperative ² Spoken imperative

Noun

いらいら or イライラ • (iraira) 

1. irritation, frustration
   • 1931, 猪狩満直, 炭坑長屋物語‎^[2], 青空文庫:

     まわらぬ舌(した)を無(む)理(り)にまわして
     妻(つま)に胸(むね)のいらいらをぶちまけていた

     mawaranu shita o muri ni mawashite
     tsuma ni mune no iraira o buchimakete ita

     He was venting his frustration at his wife, forcing words out through slurred speech