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N3Lesson notes · Oct 2, 2026

Proud in Japanese: 誇ほこり, 誇ほこらしい, 自慢じまん and why "I''m proud of you" sounds odd

"Proud" in Japanese is not one word: 誇ほこり (hokori) is deep, quiet pride, 自慢じまん (jiman) is pride you show to others, and "I'm proud of you" is usually said as よく頑張がんばったね — "you did well."

English uses one word, "proud", for a dozen different feelings. Japanese splits them apart: pride in your work, pride in your child, pride that makes you look arrogant, and the pride of someone who will not bend. Pick the wrong one and you sound stiff, boastful or rude. This article sorts them out.

The basics

What is the most common way to say "proud"?

For the feeling itself, use the adjective 誇ほこらしい (hokorashii) or the phrase 〜を誇ほこりに思おもう (to think of ~ as a source of pride). 誇ほこり is the noun "pride", and it is always the positive, dignified kind.

この仕事しごとを誇ほこりに思おもっています。 — I'm proud of this job. (polite, heartfelt, a little formal) 日本人にほんじんであることを誇ほこりに思おもう。 — I'm proud to be Japanese. (plain form, a statement of identity) 今日きょうの発表はっぴょう、誇ほこらしかった。 — I felt proud of today's presentation. (casual, looking back at your own moment)

誇ほこらしい describes a feeling that rises in you, often watching someone else succeed. 誇ほこりに思おもう is a more deliberate statement: you have decided this is something to be proud of. Both sound a bit serious in daily talk, which is the first clue about why Japanese people do not toss them around.

What does 自慢じまん mean, and is it good or bad?

自慢じまん (jiman) is pride that you show to other people. The verb 自慢じまんする means "to show off" or "to boast", so it often has a negative edge. But the noun in the pattern 自慢じまんの〜 is warm: it means "my pride and joy."

これは私わたしの自慢じまんの息子むすこです。 — This is my son, my pride and joy. (polite, a parent speaking warmly) 彼かれはいつも彼女かのじょの自慢じまんばかりする。 — He is always bragging about his girlfriend. (casual, negative: 自慢じまんする = to brag) 自慢じまんのラーメンを出だします。 — I'll serve you our specialty ramen. (a shop owner, proud of a signature dish)

The rule of thumb: 自慢じまんの + noun is praise, 自慢じまんする is usually a complaint. For something you are proud of but would not say out loud, 誇ほこり is the better fit.

How do you say "not to brag, but..."?

Use 自慢じまんじゃないけど (literally "it's not boasting, but"). It is the polite shield Japanese speakers raise right before saying something good about themselves.

自慢じまんじゃないけど、料理りょうりは得意とくいなんだ。 — Not to brag, but I'm good at cooking. (casual, friendly) 自慢じまんするつもりはないんですが、毎朝まいあさ走はしっています。 — I don't mean to boast, but I run every morning. (polite, more careful)

If you skip this softener and simply say you are great at something, it can feel blunt. This links directly to the Japanese habit of playing yourself down, covered in honne and tatemae.

Why is "I'm proud of you" rarely said literally?

You can say it. あなたを誇ほこりに思おもう is grammatical, and you will hear it in dramas and in speeches at weddings or graduations. But in everyday life it sounds like a formal statement from a parent, a coach or a king. Between friends or coworkers it feels heavy, a little like reading from a certificate.

There is also a structural reason. English "I'm proud of you" quietly puts the speaker above the listener, as a judge of their worth. Japanese tends to avoid that stance unless the relationship is clearly parent to child or teacher to student. So people reach for something that praises the effort or result instead of announcing the speaker's feelings.

Beyond the basics

What do people say instead of "I'm proud of you"?

They praise the action. The three most common choices:

よく頑張がんばったね。 — You worked hard, well done. (casual, warm, the closest everyday match) すごいね! — That's amazing! (casual, quick reaction) さすがだね。 — That's just what I'd expect from you. (casual, praising someone's known ability)

よく頑張がんばったね says "I saw how hard that was" — which is the real content of "I'm proud of you." さすが adds "this fits who you are", so it works well for someone you respect. The full comparison is in our article on good job in Japanese, and the word 頑張がんばる itself is unpacked in ganbatte.

If you really want to say it with weight, add the person to the sentence:

本当ほんとうによく頑張がんばったね。誇ほこらしいよ。 — You really did well. I'm proud. (warm, between close people, parent to child or best friends) 君きみのことを誇ほこりに思おもうよ。 — I'm proud of you. (a man speaking to someone close; sincere and a little dramatic)

What is 鼻はなが高たかい?

鼻はなが高たかい (hana ga takai) literally means "the nose is high." It is an idiom for being proud of someone close to you, because their success reflects well on you. It is usually said about children, students, friends or teammates.

息子むすこが優勝ゆうしょうして、親おやとして鼻はなが高たかいです。 — My son won, and as a parent I'm so proud. (polite, a parent speaking) 君きみが褒ほめられて、僕ぼくも鼻はなが高たかいよ。 — You got praised, so I feel proud too. (casual, a friend or senior)

The nose is not about arrogance here. It is a physical image of lifting your head. For more expressions of this kind, see Japanese idioms (kanyouku). A related idiom, 鼻はなにかける, is the opposite: it means to be conceited about something.

Is プライド the same as "pride"?

Not quite. プライド is a loanword, and it means ego or self-respect, not "pride in someone's achievement." It is often negative, especially in the fixed phrase プライドが高たかい ("has a high pride", i.e., hard to bend, hates losing face).

彼かれはプライドが高たかくて、人ひとに頼たよれない。 — He has so much pride that he can't ask anyone for help. (casual, a complaint) プロとしてのプライドがある。 — I have professional pride. (neutral to positive, about standards) プライドを捨すてて謝あやまった。 — I swallowed my pride and apologized. (neutral, a hard decision)

This is one of the classic gaps between English and Japanese word use, similar to the cases in wasei-eigo. Never say "I'm proud of you" as あなたにプライドがある. It would mean "you have a big ego."

What about 偉えらそう and other "arrogant" words?

偉えらそう (erasou) means "acting self-important" and is a common negative about someone who shows off or talks down to others. 偉えらそうに言いう means "to talk as if you're superior." It is the dark side of showing pride.

偉えらそうにしてごめん。 — Sorry for acting high and mighty. (casual apology) あの人ひと、ちょっと偉えらそうだよね。 — That person is a bit full of himself. (casual, gossip)

Another word is 傲慢ごうまん (gōman, "arrogant"), stronger and more formal. Compare personality words like these in Japanese personality adjectives.

Why does humility matter so much here?

In general terms, Japanese social life values 謙遜けんそん (kenson, humility). A person who says "I'm great at this" is often seen as slightly rude, even when it is true. A person who says "No, no, I'm still learning" is seen as pleasant. That is why 自慢じまん can be negative, why 自慢じまんじゃないけど exists as a softener, and why people often show pride through someone else — my son, my team, my shop's ramen. Pride in others (自慢じまんの息子むすこ, 鼻はなが高たかい) is safe. Pride in yourself needs a cushion. Humility also explains why saying 自信じしんがありません, "I'm not confident", is often more natural than praising your own ability, and confidence in Japanese shows it with 日本語にほんごにはまだ自信じしんがありません.

How does pride sound in anime?

In anime, pride often turns up as 誇ほこり高たかき (hokoritakaki), "of high pride", a classical-sounding adjective phrase for a warrior or noble. You will hear lines like:

私わたしは誇ほこり高たかき騎士きしだ。 — I am a proud knight. (stylized, heroic, a dramatic declaration) 誇ほこりを持もって戦たたかえ。 — Fight with pride. (command form, a commander to soldiers) お前まえに、誇ほこりはないのか。 — Have you no pride? (rough, an insult to someone who acted dishonorably)

誇ほこり here means honor. This is the heavy, old-fashioned meaning of the word, and it explains why real people use it sparingly. In daily life you would never call yourself 誇ほこり高たかき anything.

Common mistakes

  • Saying プライド for "I'm proud of you." プライド is ego or self-respect, not a compliment. Use 誇ほこりに思おもう or 誇ほこらしい.
  • Using 自慢じまんする when you mean "feel proud." 自慢じまんする is "to show off." If you say 自分じぶんを自慢じまんしている, you are saying you are bragging about yourself.
  • Using あなたを誇ほこりに思おもう with a coworker or friend. It is correct but stiff. よく頑張がんばったね is more natural.
  • Translating "I'm proud" as 私わたしは誇ほこりです. That means "I am pride." Say 誇ほこりに思おもいます, or use 〜が誇ほこりです for the thing: この店みせが私わたしの誇ほこりです.
  • Praising yourself directly. 私わたしはすごいです on its own sounds odd. Add 自慢じまんじゃないけど or let a friend say it.

A quick comparison

Word Core meaning Tone Example
誇ほこり pride, honor Positive, serious 誇ほこりに思おもう
誇ほこらしい feeling proud Positive, warm 誇ほこらしかった
自慢じまん showing off / treasured Negative or warm 自慢じまんする / 自慢じまんの息子むすこ
鼻はなが高たかい proud of someone close Warm, idiomatic 鼻はなが高たかい
プライド ego, self-respect Often negative プライドが高たかい
偉えらそう acting superior Negative 偉えらそうにする

Practice

Try each one before opening the answer. Questions 3 and 4 are a pair, and so are 5 and 6.

1. Say "I'm proud of this job" in polite Japanese.

Show answer

この仕事しごとを誇ほこりに思おもっています — 誇ほこりに思おもう means "to be proud of", and the polite ending ています makes it a lasting feeling.

2. A friend finished a hard project. What is a natural everyday way to say "I'm proud of you"?

Show answer

よく頑張がんばったね — Japanese usually praises the effort, not the speaker's feelings.

3. A parent says 「彼かれは私わたしの自慢じまんの息子むすこです」. Is this praise or bragging?

Show answer

Praise — 自慢じまんの + noun means "my pride and joy", a warm phrase.

4. Someone says 「彼かれはいつも自慢じまんばかりする」. Is this praise or bragging?

Show answer

Bragging (a complaint) — 自慢じまんする is "to show off", and ばかり means "all the time."

5. Your friend says 「彼かれはプライドが高たかい」. Is that a compliment?

Show answer

Usually no — プライドが高たかい means he is hard to bend and hates losing face.

6. Your friend says 「プロとしてのプライドがある」. How is this different from question 5?

Show answer

It is positive here — プライド means professional self-respect and standards. The same word can be good or bad depending on the phrase around it.

7. Your son won the race and you want to say you are proud, as a parent, using an idiom.

Show answer

鼻はなが高たかいです — the idiom for being proud of someone close to you.

8. How do you say "not to brag, but I'm good at cooking" casually?

Show answer

自慢じまんじゃないけど、料理りょうりは得意とくいなんだ — 自慢じまんじゃないけど is the softener before a self-compliment.

9. What does an anime warrior mean by 誇ほこり高たかき騎士きし?

Show answer

A knight of high honor — 誇ほこり here is the heavy, classic sense of honor and dignity.

10. What is wrong with saying あなたにプライドがある to mean "I'm proud of you"?

Show answer

It means "you have a big ego." プライド is ego, not pride in someone's success. Use 誇ほこりに思おもう.

Use a trial lesson to say what you take 誇ほこり in and what you 自慢じまんする about, and try よく頑張がんばったね as the natural way to say "I'm proud of you".

FAQ

Can I say あなたを誇ほこりに思おもう to a friend? You can, and it is grammatical, but it sounds like a formal speech. Between friends, よく頑張がんばったね or すごいね feels more natural. Keep 誇ほこりに思おもう for a serious, heartfelt moment.

Is 自慢じまん always negative? No. 自慢じまんする (to boast) is often negative, but 自慢じまんの息子むすこ or 自慢じまんの料理りょうり is warm. The pattern matters more than the word.

What is the difference between 誇ほこらしい and 嬉うれしい? 嬉うれしい is "happy", a feeling about something good for you. 誇ほこらしい is a bigger, more dignified feeling of "this reflects well on us", often about someone's achievement or a group you belong to.

How do I say "I'm proud of myself"? 自分じぶんを誇ほこりに思おもう is correct but heavy. In daily life, people say 我われながらよくやった ("even I think I did well") or 自分じぶんを褒ほめたい ("I want to praise myself"), which sound more natural and humble.

Is プライド ever a good word? Yes. プロとしてのプライド or プライドを持もって仕事しごとをする ("work with pride") are positive. But on its own, プライドが高たかい is usually a complaint.

Vocabulary from this article

Tap the block to select all of it, then copy. In Anki: File → Import, note type Basic, separator Tab.

誇り	ほこり — pride, honor
誇らしい	ほこらしい — feeling proud
誇りに思う	ほこりにおもう — to be proud of
自慢	じまん — boasting, pride (in what you have)
自慢する	じまんする — to show off, to brag
自慢の息子	じまんのむすこ — my pride and joy (son)
自慢じゃないけど	じまんじゃないけど — not to brag, but
鼻が高い	はながたかい — proud of someone close (idiom)
プライド	プライド — ego, self-respect
偉そう	えらそう — acting superior
傲慢	ごうまん — arrogant
謙遜	けんそん — humility
誇り高き	ほこりたかき — of high honor (literary)
頑張る	がんばる — to do one's best
得意	とくい — good at

I'm Yuuki, a Japanese teacher based in Tokyo. I've taught on italki as a Top 1% teacher and watched over 1,500 anime, so most of the example sentences on this blog come from lines I've actually heard in anime and in my lessons. For practice with feedback, Book a trial lesson · $13, or work through Japanese practice exercises first.

Sources: the author's own lessons and standard reference grammars.

More drills like the ones above, plus a timed JLPT-style mock test: Practice · N3 · Read something at this level: JLPT N3 stories with audio

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