Sometimes the things we do in life are not smooth and easy. Like using a stroller in the NYC subway system or going to the Motor Vehicle Office. Today, let’s see how we can describe these situations in English.
When you look up 「面倒臭い」in a dictionary, it usually says, “troublesome, ” “tiresome,” or “bothersome.” So you can say:
- Using a stroller in the subway is troublesome.
- Going to the Motor Vehicle Office is tiresome.
But…it’s more natural to use the idiom, a pain in the neck. Most native English speakers use this phrase. For example:
- Using a stroller in the subway is a pain in the neck.
- Going to the Motor Vehicle Office is a pain in the neck.
We also use a pain in the neck to talk about people that bother us. For example:
- My boss made me work a lot of overtime this week. He’s a pain in the neck.
- My neighbor is a pain in the neck. She always asks to borrow my things, but never returns them on time.
What (or who) is a pain in the neck for you? Feel free to leave a comment below.
I hope this was a helpful English lesson. If you have any questions, or would like my help to make your English sound more natural, I teach private English lessons in my office on Madison and 40th Street, and on Skype. Feel free to send me a message here.