The difference between "ムカつく" and ”イライラする”

July 17, 2020

They are verbs that are often used when describing situations in which someone/something makes you feel angry. The nuance is slightly different.

"ムカつく" is a colloquial style of "腹が立つ". It is used when someone/something pisses you off.

”イライラする is similar to "うざい". It is used when describing situations in which someone/something is bothering you. It often indicates that you are panicking/frustrated because you can't do what you want to do.

Ken and Leo are talking about their colleague.

  • Ken: Mike is smart and works hard. I don't know why, but I'm pissed off with the way he speaks.
    マイクは頭が良いし、働き者だけど、なんかアイツの話し方ってムカつく
  • Leo: I know how you feel. His way of talking is kind of bossy.
    わかる。偉そうなんだよ。
  • Ken: Could be. And I don't know why he tries to talk with Kansai dialect even though he is from Tokyo. It's annoying.
    そうかも。東京出身なのに、なぜか関西弁を喋ろうとするし。ムカつく
Meg is complaining about her boss.

  • Meg: I’m so irritated with Jeff. I have so many things to do, but he keeps asking me for favors.
    あー、イライラする。やることが山ほどあるのに、ジェフは次から次へと作業を依頼してくる。
  • Amy: He's still doing that? I'll help you after I finish with my tasks. Could you hang on a bit? I'll be done in about 30 minutes.
    まだ、作業を振ってくるの?(自分の)作業が終わったら手伝うよ。ちょっと待って。30分くらいで終わるから。
  • Meg: Thank you.
    ありがとう。

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