JLPT N3Idioms
耳が痛い
- Meaning
- 弱点を指摘されてつらい気持ちになる
- Explanation
- "耳が痛い" means that it is painful to hear when your own weak point or fault is pointed out. It is also used when your ear really hurts, but as an idiom it expresses the feeling that "what was said hits the mark and is painful."
Original Japanese explanation
「耳が痛い」は、自分の弱点や悪いところを言われて、聞くのがつらいという意味です。本当に耳が痛いときにも使いますが、慣用句では「言われたことが当たっていて、つらい」気持ちを表します。
Quick check
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