Japanese · Frustration
調子乗んな
chōshi noru na
CHOH-shee no-roo nah · /tɕoːɕi noɾɯ na/
Don't get cocky / don't push your luck / know your place
genuinely rude; friends only, never at work
Literally
"don't ride the momentum"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
A warning to someone getting too full of themselves — "don't get carried away." Half threat, half wounded pride; it's what you say when a person's showing off or testing your patience. From "chōshi ni noru" (to get carried away). The politer "chōshi ni noranaide" exists but the clipped "noru na" is where the edge lives.
Heard in the wild
ちょっと勝ったくらいで調子乗んなよ。
Won one round and now you're cocky? Don't push it.
Where it lands
Nationwide
Quick answers
- What does "調子乗んな" mean?
- In Japanese, "調子乗んな" means "Don't get cocky / don't push your luck / know your place". Literally it's "don't ride the momentum". A warning to someone getting too full of themselves — "don't get carried away." Half threat, half wounded pride; it's what you say when a person's showing off or testing your patience. From "chōshi ni noru" (to get carried away). The politer "chōshi ni noranaide" exists but the clipped "noru na" is where the edge lives.
- Is "調子乗んな" offensive?
- It's genuinely rude — a 3/5 (Watch your audience) on the Punch-o-Meter. Fine among friends, never at work or with people you've just met.
- How do you pronounce "調子乗んな"?
- Say it "CHOH-shee no-roo nah" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: tɕoːɕi noɾɯ na.
Related in Japanese
The same idea, elsewhere
Via concepts like "Show-off".
- French La classe ! Classy! / So cool! / Stylish!
- German baggern To hit on someone / chat someone up (persistently)
- Greek καραγκιόζης A clown / buffoon / attention-seeking fool — someone who makes a spectacle of himself.
- Polish szpaner Show-off / poser — all flash, borrowed money.
- Portuguese Fominha Ball hog / someone who won't share
- Russian Понты Show-off posturing / all flash, no substance
- Spanish Mamón Stuck-up jerk / smug show-off
- Turkish Çapkın Player / smooth operator / flirt
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