Learn Hardcore Japanese: kare no iikata ha sukosi siturei datta.

の links a noun to another noun, marking possession/attribution: 彼の言い方 = “his way of speaking/saying.” It tells you the “way of speaking” belongs to or is associated with him. Using 彼は would make “he” the topic, which is a different structure.

Why is は after 言い方?

は marks the topic: 彼の言い方は… means “As for his way of speaking, ….” It frames what the sentence is about. It can also be contrastive, implying “his way of speaking (as opposed to something else).”

What exactly does 言い方 mean? How is it different from 話し方 or 言葉遣い?

言い方 (いいかた): the way you phrase something; your manner of saying it.
話し方 (はなしかた): speaking style (pace, tone, fluency), broader than just wording.
言葉遣い (ことばづかい): word choice/diction, levels of politeness/honorifics.
In this sentence, the issue is with how he phrased things, so 言い方 fits best.

Can I say 彼は言い方が少し失礼だった?

Yes. 彼は sets “he” as the topic, and 言い方が marks “way of speaking” as the specific thing that was rude.

彼の言い方は… highlights the manner as the topic from the start.
彼は言い方が… highlights the person, then identifies the rude aspect about him.

What nuance does 少し add? Could I use ちょっと or 少々 instead?

少し: neutral “a little,” usable in both casual and polite contexts.
ちょっと: very common, more casual; often softens criticism. In some contexts it can imply “rather” (a bit stronger).
少々 (しょうしょう): more formal/polite, often in set phrases.
Any of the three works here; choose based on formality and how soft/strong you want to sound.

Is 失礼 a noun or an adjective? How does it work grammatically?

失礼 is a noun/na-adjective.

Predicate: 失礼だ／失礼です (“is rude”), 失礼だった／失礼でした (“was rude”).
Attributive: 失礼な
- noun (e.g., 失礼な言い方).
As a set phrase/verb: 失礼します (“Excuse me”), 失礼する (“to be rude; to take one’s leave”).

Why is it だった and not でした or だ?

だった: plain past (“was”). The sentence is in plain, non-polite past.
でした: polite past; use it if you’re speaking in です/ます style.
だ: plain present (“is”), which would change the time/stance of the judgment.
Keep the register consistent throughout your speech or writing.

Can I say 失礼でした here? Does it change the meaning?

Yes: 彼の言い方は少し失礼でした。 Same meaning, but polite. Use でした if you’re in polite mode (です/ます) or talking to someone you should address politely.

Can I drop 彼の?

Yes, if context makes it clear whose manner you’re talking about. Japanese often omits obvious subjects/owners:

言い方は少し失礼だった。 (“The way [he] spoke was a little rude.”)

Could I say 失礼な言い方だった instead? What’s the difference?

彼の言い方は少し失礼だった。 states a judgment about his manner (with 少し softening it).
彼の言い方は失礼な言い方だった。 is grammatical but repetitive; better is simply 失礼な言い方だった when you need the attributive form.
Note: Don’t say 失礼だった言い方; na-adjectives use な before nouns: 失礼な言い方.

How would I say “It sounded rude” or “It came off as rude”?

“It sounded rude”: 失礼に聞こえた。 / 彼の言い方が少し失礼に聞こえた。
“It felt rude (to me)”: 失礼だと感じた。 / 少し失礼に感じた。
These are slightly softer because they frame it as perception.

How do I pronounce 失礼 and 言い方? Is 言い方 read with ゆう?

失礼: しつれい (shi-tsu-rei). The つ may be lightly devoiced in fast speech.
言い方: いいかた (ii-kata).
While casual speech can sound like ゆう for 言う, the standard reading is いう, and 言い方 is pronounced いいかた, not ゆいかた.

Are spaces normal in Japanese like the ones shown?

No. Standard Japanese doesn’t use spaces between words. The normal writing is: 彼の言い方は少し失礼だった。 The spaced version is just for learners to see the parts.

Does は imply contrast here?

It can. 彼の言い方は少し失礼だった may simply state a fact, or, in context, contrast with something else:

彼の言い方は少し失礼だったが、内容は正しかった。
“As for his way of speaking, it was a bit rude, but the content was correct.”

How can I say this more politely or soften the criticism?

Polite: 彼の言い方は少し失礼でした。
Softer/hedged:
- 彼の言い方は少しきついかもしれません。
- 彼の言い方はやや強く聞こえました。
- 言い方が少し気になりました。

What are the negative and past-negative forms with 失礼?

Plain present negative: 失礼ではない／失礼じゃない
Plain past negative: 失礼ではなかった／失礼じゃなかった
Polite present negative: 失礼ではありません
Polite past negative: 失礼ではありませんでした
Use では in formal contexts; じゃ is more casual.

Are there stronger or different words than 失礼?

Stronger/formal: 無礼 (ぶれい) (“rude,” “insolent”)
Blunt/direct: ぶしつけ (“impudent”), 口が悪い (“foul-mouthed”)
Tone-focused: きつい (“harsh”), ぶっきらぼう (“curt”)
Choose based on what exactly felt off: word choice, tone, or attitude.

How can I rephrase using a verb, like “He spoke rudely”?

彼は失礼な言い方をした。 (He used a rude way of saying it.)
彼は失礼なことを言った。 (He said something rude.)
彼はぶしつけに話した。 (He spoke impudently.)
Your original focuses on the manner (言い方); these shift focus to the action.

How is ～方 formed, like in 言い方?

It’s the verb’s 連用形 (masu-stem) + 方 (かた) meaning “way of …”

言う → 言い方 (いう → いいかた): way of saying
話す → 話し方 (はなしかた): way of speaking
書く → 書き方 (かきかた): way of writing
食べる → 食べ方 (たべかた): way of eating
Irregulars: する → 仕方 (しかた), 来る → 来方 (きかた)

How would I say “It was a little rude of me,” to apologize?

私の言い方は少し失礼でした。申し訳ありません。
Set phrase: 失礼しました。 (polite) / 失礼いたしました。 (more formal)

Is 彼 always natural for “he”?

In everyday conversation, Japanese often uses the person’s name (＋さん) or just omits the subject. 彼 can sound like “boyfriend” in some contexts or like written narration. It’s fine in explanations or when no name is available, but in real conversation you’d usually avoid it.