Shinzoo ga Tsuyoi

[Japanese Idioms by Flashcards]

心臓が強い

“strong-hearted”

(having nerve or gall, impervious to subtleties)

Shinzoo ga tsuyoi describes a socially bold, cheeky person. Usually considered a negative trait, the phrase also may refer to having the courage (or gall) to behave against what is normally expected, like an employee who questions his boss, or a student who challenges the teacher.

Sample text:
(Style: spoken/casual/A=female, B=male)

A: Sachiko-san, daijoobu kashira. Minna o daihyoo shite fuhei o ji ni itta kedo.
B: Kanojo nara daijoobu sa. Shinzoo ga tsuyoi kara hakkiri monku ieru daro.

A: 佐知さちこ子さん、大丈夫かしら。みんなを代表して不平を言いに行ったけど。
B: 彼女なら大丈夫さ。心臓しんぞうが強いからはっきり文句言えるだろ。

A: I wonder if Sachiko is OK. She went to register a complaint on behalf of the group.
B: She’ll be fine. She has a lot of nerve; she’ll tell them exactly what they did wrong.