What Famous Movie Character Are You?: Describing People and Personalities in Japanese :Who’s your favorite movie character? Do you like him or her because you want to be like them, or is it because they’re just like you? Today, we’re going to learn how to describe people and their 性格 (seikaku, personalities) in Japanese by using our favorite movie characters! Which one is most like you?
Contents
What Famous Movie Character Are You?: Describing People and Personalities in Japanese
Examples
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
| 性格 | seikaku | personality |
| 勤勉家 | kinbenka | a hard-worker |
| 分析的な人 | bunsekiteki na hito | an analytical person |
| 自信のある | jishin no aru | self-confident |
| 決断力のある | ketsudan no aru | decisive |
| 厳しい | kibishii | strict |
| 傲慢な人 | gouman na hito | an arrogant person |
| 賢い | kashikoi | intelligent |
| 論理的思考のある人 | ronritekishikou no aru hito | a logical thinker |
| 直接に言う人 | chokusetsu ni iu hito | a straightforward person |
| 想像力のある | souzouryoku no aru | imaginative |
| 内向的な人 | naikouteki-na hito | an introverted person |
| 大望のある | taimou no aru | ambitious |
| 迫力にあふれる人 | hakuryoku ni afureru hito | a driven person |
| 精力家 | seiryokka | a person filled with vigor |
| 天性の指導者 | tensei no shidousha | a natural born leader |
| 頭の回転がいい | atama no kaiten ga ii | quick-thinking |
| カリスマ性のある | karisumasei no aru | charismatic |
| 変わり者 | kawarimono | an eccentric person |
| 頑固な人 | ganko-na hito | a headstrong person |
| 革新者 | kakushinsha | an innovator |
| 天才 | tensai | a genius |
| 創造力のある | souzouryoku no aru | creative |
| 洞察力のある | dousatsuryoku no aru | insightful |
| 利他的な人 | ritateki-na hito | an altruistic person |
| 情熱的な人 | jounetsuteki-na hito | a passionate person |
| 感じやすい人 | kanji yasui hito | a sensitive person |
| 才能のある | sainou no aru | talented |
| 情け深い | nasakebukai | compassionate |
| 献身的な人 | kenshinteki-na hito | a dedicated person |
| 優しい | yasashii | kind |
| 直観力のある | chokkanryoku no aru | intuitive |
| 世間離れた | seken banareta | sheltered |
| 人見知り | hitomishiri | shy around strangers |
| 憂鬱な人 | yuuutsu-na hito | a gloomy person |
| 友好的な人 | yuukouteki-na hito | a friendly person |
| 好奇心の強い | koukishin no tsuyoi | curious |
| 頭がいい | atama ga ii | smart |
| 元気な人 | genki-na hito | an energetic person |
| 流行に敏感な人 | ryuukou ni binkan-na hito | a trendy person |
| おしゃれな人 | oshare-na hito | a fashionable person |
| 綺麗な人 | kirei-na hito | a beautiful person |
| 外向的な人 | gaikouteki-na hito | an extroverted person |
| 孝行娘（息子） | koukou musume (musuko) | a dutiful daughter (son) |
| 忙しい | isogashii | busy |
| 天然の人 | Tennen no hito | a ditzy person |
| 怠け者 | namakemono | a slacker |
| のんびりした人 | nonbiri shita hito | a chill person |
| お金持ち | okanemochi | a wealthy person |
| 冒険者 | boukensha | an adventurous person |
| ビール腹のある人 | biiru bara no aru hito | a person with a beer belly |
| マリファナを吸う人 | marifana wo suu hito | a pot smoker |
| カウチポテト | kauchi poteto | a couch potato |
| 控えめな人 | hikaeme-na hito | a reserved person |
| おしゃべりな人 (, | oshaberi-na hito | a jabberjaws |
Mr. Miyagi (The Karate Kid)
“Wax on… Wax off…”
This karate teacher from the Okinawan islands of Japan never seems to have a moment where he isn’t deeply meditating on the nature of martial arts. He is 勤勉家 (kinbenka, a hard-worker) with a mind on the 分析的 (bunsekiteki, analytical) side. Any master of martial arts has also got to be 自信のある (jishin no aru, self-confident) and 決断力のある (ketsudan no aru, decisive). However, 厳しい (kibishii, strict) senseis like Mr. Miyagi can easily come off as a bit 傲慢 (gouman, arrogant) at times.
Neo (The Matrix)
“What are you trying to tell me? That I can dodge bullets?”
Due to the nature of their work, any cybercriminal has got to be 賢い (kashikoi, intelligent) and 論理的思考のある人 (ronritekishikou no aru hito, a logical thinker). Since they spend long hours crunching away at their computers, they also have a tendency to be 内向的 (naikouteki, introverted). Neo, the iconic red-pill-swallower, breaks out of his shell, though, once he enters the real world. He becomes a true 指導者 (shidousha, leader) of his band of neo-hackers into the future. He is 直接に言う (chokusetsu ni iu, straightforward) in demeanor and 想像力のある (souzouryoku no aru, imaginative).
Danny Ocean (Ocean’s Eleven)
“Ted Nugent called. He wants his shirt back.”
George Clooney does a fabulous job portraying this criminal whose goal is to orchestrate the biggest heist of the century: robbing three of the largest casinos in Las Vegas! Anyone with the 大望 (taimou, ambition) to pull off such a feat (after just being released on parole, nonetheless!) has got to be 迫力にあふれる (hakuryoku ni afureru, driven) and 精力 (seiryoku, filled with vigor). Characters like these are 天性の指導者(tensei no shidousha, natural born leaders).
Doc Brown (Back to the Future)
“Great Scott!”
This flux-capacitor-inventing scientist is 頭の回転がいい (atama no kaiten ga ii, quick-thinking) and カリスマ性のある (karisumasei no aru, charismatic). Though a little 変わった (kawatta, eccentric), he is 頑固 (ganko, headstrong) and a true 革新者 (kakushinsha, innovator) of the future. Turning a DeLorean into a time machine? Now that’s 天才 (tensai, genius)!
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars)
“May the Force be with you.”
This veteran lightsaber-wielding Jedi is 創造力のある (souzouryoku no aru, creative), 洞察力のある (dousatsuryoku no aru, insightful), and 利他的 (ritateki, altruistic). He is 情熱的 (jounetsuteki, passionate) and also has a 感じやすい (kanji yasui, sensitive) side.
Edward Scissorhands (Edward Scissorhands)
Kim: “Hold me…”
Edward: “…I can’t.”
All this 才能のある (sainou no aru, talented) hair designer wants to do is touch someone without cutting them in half! He is 情け深い (nasakebukai, compassionate) and 献身的 (kenshinteki, dedicated), yet 優しい (yasashii, kind) and highly 直観力のある (chokkanryoku no aru, intuitive). Edward’s only problem (apart from the hands, anyway) is that he’s a bit 世間離れた (seken banareta, sheltered), 人見知り (hitomishiri, shy around strangers), and has a general 憂鬱 (yuuutsu, gloomy) demeanor.
Kevin McCallister (Home Alone)
Hold on, let me put on some aftershave…
”AHHHH!!”
Yes, our favorite abandoned child is also on this list! Kevin talks to a lot of strangers, so we can consider him 友好的 (yuukouteki, friendly) as well as 好奇心の強い (koukishin no tsuyoi, curious). He’s also quite 頭がいい (atama ga ii, smart) and 元気 (genki, energetic) considering all of those traps he was able to set up in order to fend off the Wet Bandits!
Cher (Clueless)
“Oh my Gawd, those are like so last season!”
This 流行に敏感 (ryuukou ni binkan, trendy) and おしゃれな人 (oshare-na hito, fashionable person) is the exact opposite of someone like Edward Scissorhands. She is 綺麗 (kirei, beautiful), 外向的 (gaikouteki, extroverted), and 孝行娘 (koukou musume, a dutiful daughter) to her very 忙しい (isogashii, busy) father. However, she is a bit 天然 (tennen, ditzy)!
The Dude (The Big Lebowski)
“That rug really tied the room together, man!”
Some might call him a 怠け者 (namakemono, slacker). Others may call him just a のんびりした人 (nonbiri shita hito, chill guy). Whatever the case, once his precious rug is ruined, he confronts お金持ち (okanemochi, a wealthy man) with his same name for compensation. This kickstarts The Dude’s 冒険 (bouken, adventure) to deliver a briefcase of ransom money and get the wealthy man’s wife back. It looks like this ビール腹のある (biiru bara no aru, beer-bellied) マリファナを吸う人 (marifana wo suu hito, pot smoker) isn’t just your regular カウチポテト (kauchi poteto, couch potato) afterall!
So? Which famous movie character are you most like? Are you shy and 控えめ (hikaeme, reserved) like Edward Scissorhands, or are you an outgoing おしゃべりな人 (oshaberi-na hito, jabberjaws) like Cher in Clueless?
Now that you have an exhaustive list of ways to describe people, it’s time to get out there and practice what you’ve learned! Sit down with your speaking partner and discuss the people in your life. What are their personalities like? Are they similar to the movie characters listed above? What are you like?
Remember, the only way to master what you’ve learned is to get out there and practice, practice, practice!