5/27/2020 Japanese profanity - Wikipedia

Japanese profanity
Profanity in the Japanese language can pertain to scatological references or aim to put down the
listener by negatively commenting on their skill levels, intellect, or appearance.[1] Furthermore, there
are different levels of Japanese speech that indicate politeness, social standing and respect,[2]
referred to, simply, as honorific form (敬語 keigo).[3] Using the incorrect form of Japanese can, itself,
be insulting to the listener.[4]

Contents
Language-based profanity
Pronouns and suffixes
Honorific language
Bowing
Sex
Insults
Common Japanese insults
Stupidity
Personality/people
Racial euphemisms
Homosexuality
References

Language-based profanity
In Japanese culture, social hierarchy plays a significant role in the way one speaks to the various
people they interact with on a day-to-day basis.[5] Choice on level of speech, politeness, body
language and appropriate content is assessed on a situational basis,[6] and intentional misuse of these
social cues can be offensive to the listener in conversation.[2]

Pronouns and suffixes

Pronouns are rarely used in Japanese compared to English. Rather, a Japanese speaker would refer
to another individual, whether it be in the second person or third person, by their family name.
However, when referring to an individual, the use of suffixes on pronouns can be used to indicate
levels of politeness.[6]

For example, in English one could say "Excuse me, Ms Ishiyama, but I cannot hear you. Could you
please speak louder?", the following would be an incorrect translation:

(1) 石山先生、すみませんが私はあなたを聞こえません。あなたはもっと大きい声で話してくれませ
んか？ (Ishiyama-sensei, sumimasen ga watashi wa anata wo kikoemasen. Anata wa motto ōkī koe
de hanashitekuremasenka?)

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Using pronouns is too direct in Japanese, and considered

offensive or strange.[6] One would not use pronouns for oneself,
私 ('I'), or for another, あ な た ('you'), but instead would omit
pronouns for oneself, and call the other person by name:

(2) 石山先生、すみませんが、聞こえません。もっと大きい声で
話 し て く れ ま せ ん か ？ (Ishiyama-sensei, sumimasen ga,
kikoemasen. motto ōkī koe de hanashitekuremasenka?)

Use of 'Ishiyama' in preference of 'Sara', and use of 'sensei'

(teacher) as a suffix indicates recognition of Ms Ishiyama's
superiority in the social hierarchy as one's teacher.

In contrast, if one were to say:

(3) ごめん、聞こえない。もっと大きい声で言って。(gomen,
kikoenai. motto ōkī koe de itte)

to their teacher, it would be considered incredibly impolite. Ms

Ishiyama's status is not mentioned, indicating that the speaker
considers themself to be of equal or high social standing.
Swearing depicted in cartoon

Honorific language

Profanity can be accentuated also through use (or lack) of honorific language (敬語 けいご keigo).
Following on from pronouns and suffixes in the example above, the speaker has contracted the words
for 'excuse me/sorry' (すみません sumimasen to ごめん gomen), 'I cannot hear you' (聞こえません
kikoemasen to 聞 こ え な い kikoenai) and 'can you speak' ( 話 し て く れ ま せ ん か
hanashitekuremasenka to 言って itte).

Politeness can be conveyed to the listener by conjugating plain forms (verb stems) of Japanese verbs
into what is called the polite form.[7]

Consider the original example. The plain form verb for 'listen' is 聞く kiku. The potential form[8] of
this is 聞こえる kikoeru, and the corresponding negative form is 聞こえない kikoenai.[9] The polite
conjugation of the negative potential plain form is then 聞 こ え ま せ ん kikoemasen, as seen in the
example (1). In example (3) the speaker has chosen to use the plain form 聞こえない kikoenai, and
this indicates a disregard for the social hierarchical status of Ms Ishiyama over the speaker.

Bowing

Bowing was introduced into Japanese culture c. 500–800 BCE,

possibly alongside the introduction of Chinese Buddhism into the
country. Bowing when greeting another person has become a
large part of Japanese culture and there are specific customs that
are followed to show humility and respect in situations including Japanese women dressed in
business meetings, formal occasions, day-to-day interactions and kimono bowing to each other in
in business meetings. [10] When performing a standing bow (正立 formal greeting in a tatami room
seiritsu) to another Japanese speaker, the individual's back
should remain straight, with their hands by their side, and eyes
averted to the ground. From sitting, the individual should be seated on their knees (正座 seiza) with
their hands forming a triangle on the floor in front of them, and head moving towards the hands.[10]
The bow does not need to be held for extended time, however the action should not be rushed either.
The speed in which the bow is performed, as a result, can infer levels of politeness or rudeness.
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The depth of the bow performed by an individual changes the meaning of the bow. A bow of 15
degrees is considered a casual bow or greeting bow (会釈 eshaku). This sort of bow can be used with
someone of equal social hierarchical status such as a colleague or friend's friend. A bow of 30 degrees
is considered a polite bow (浅礼 senrei) and should be made from seiza, not from seiritsu. This sort of
bow is used in semi-formal situations. A bow of 45 degrees is a respectful bow (敬礼 keirei) and can
be done while seated or standing. The respectful bow is used when greeting a superior such as an
employer, or in-laws. Finally, a deep bow of greater than 45 degrees is called a reverent bow (最敬礼
saikeirei) and this is reserved either for an audience with the emperor or to communicate a deep
reverence or regret.

With regards to profanity, using an overly polite or reverent form of bowing can display sarcasm and
disdain, and conversely, choosing an inappropriately familial bow can be offensive to the other party.

Sex
Similar to English, profanities that relate to the body tend to refer to the direct words for body parts
and may not necessarily be negative words.[1][11]

Male profanities

くそじじい kusojijii – old fart, old bag (unpleasant old man)

どインポ do'inpo – impotent
ちんぽこ chinpoko – dick, penis, prick
ちんちん chinchin – pre-pubescent penis, willy
ちんぽ chinpo – penis
ぽこちん pokochin – penis
陰茎 (いんけい) inkei – penis
ペニス penisu – penis, phallus
男根 (だんこん) dankon – penis, phallus
陽物 (ようもの) yōmono – penis, phallus
まら mara – penis

Female profanities

あばずれ abazure – bitch

ぶす busu – ugly woman, dog
やりまん yariman – slut
くそばばあ kusobabaa – old fart, old hag (unpleasant old woman)
まんこ manko – vagina, cunt
おまんこ omanko – vagina, screw, vaginal intercourse
膣 (ちつ) chitsu – vagina
われめ wareme – slit, vagina, cunt

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われめちゃん waremechan – slit, vagina, cunt (same as wareme with the cutesy suffix 'chan')
おめこ omeko – vagina, vaginal intercourse

Neutral profanities

変態 (へんたい) hentai – perverted, pervert

スケベ sukebe – lech, lecher
いやらしい iyarashii – disgusting, lewd, indecent
下衆野郎 (げすやろう) gesuyarou – asshole

Insults

Common Japanese insults

デク deku- a nickname that means "useless person" or "someone who can't do anything"
くたばれ kutabare – drop dead
しんじまえ shinjimae – go to hell
くそくらえ kuso kurae – eat shit
くそったれ kusottare – (literally) shit-drip
きさま kisama – rude pronoun 'you'
手前 (てまえ) temae – rude pronoun 'you'
どけ doke – move it, get out of the way
こいつ、あいつ koitsu, aitsu – rude, overly familiar expression for a third party
このやろう kono yarou – you piece of shit (generally directed at men)
やつ, やつめ yatsu, yatsume – unpleasant, disliked person
ちくしょう chikushō – oh shit, damn it, oh hell
やかましい, じゃかまし~ yakamashii, jakamashi~ – shut up
うるさい, うざい urusai, uzai – shut up
最低 (さいてい) saitei – the worst, disgusting
いい加減にしろ (いいかげんにしろ) ii kagen ni shiro – stop messing around
ふざけるな fuzakeruna – stop being stupid
め me – suffix that implies contempt
屁こき (へこき) hekoki – farter

Stupidity

あほ aho – idiot, moron, fool

馬鹿 (ばか) baka – idiot, moron, fool

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馬鹿野郎 (ばかやろう) baka yarō – idiot, moron, fool

まぬけ manuke – clueless, loser (literally 'missing a beat', 'out of rhythm')
のろま noroma – slowpoke, twit, daft
へたくそ hetakuso – clumsy, lacking skill
どじ doji – clumsy, clueless
ぼけ boke – clueless, unaware, dumb, stupid
とろい toroi – slow witted, doesn't 'get it'

Personality/people

くそがき kusogaki – bad-mannered child, brat

わるがき warugaki – brat
でぶ debu – fatso, fatty
ちび chibi – runt, shorty
くちきたない kuchikitanai – bad mouthed, bitchy
けち kechi – stingy, mean
ずるい zurui – selfish, unfair
ださい dasai – unfashionable, lame
くそまじめ kusomajime – overly serious, 'goody-two-shoes'
オタク otaku – creepily obsessive (usually for computer or pop-culture geeks)
意地悪 (いじわる) ijiwaru – malicious, spiteful, bitchy
やぼ yabo – coarse, impolite, disrespectful
弱虫 (よわむし) yowamushi – weak, cowardly (literally 'weak insect')
腰抜け (こしぬけ) koshinuke – coward
嘘つき (うそつき) usotsuki – liar
きもい kimoi – creepy

Racial euphemisms
Japan has managed to preserve its culture through isolation from other countries. Prior to the World
Wars, Japan had unstable relationships with the nations surrounding them, including Korea and
China. Following The World Wars, Japan civilization experienced exposure to Western culture, and
this resulted in a range of insults with regards to nationality, race, and place of origin.[12]

外国人 (がいこくじん) gaikokujin – foreigner

外人 (がいじん) gaijin – tourist, alien
変な外人 (へんながいじん) hen'na gaijin – strange or unusual tourist, alien
異人 (いじん) ijin – foreigner, another person

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異邦人 (いほうじん) ihōjin – foreigner, stranger

毛唐 (けとう) ketō – foreigner, alien, newcomer, stranger, non-native
他国人 (たこくじん) takokujin – foreigner, stranger, alien
西洋人 (せいようじん) seiyōjin – Westerner
チョン chon – Korean person
キムチ野郎 (きむちやろう) kimuchiyarō – Korean person (Literally, Kimchi Person)
朝鮮人 (ちょうせんじん) chōsenjin – Korean person (derogatory)
特亜人 (とくあじん) tokuajin – abbreviation of "Tokutei Asian". A derogatory term used against
Koreans and Chinese meaning 'specific Asia'[13]

Homosexuality
There is evidence of Japanese men engaging in lawful homosexual relationships since the 1600s,
particularly among monks and their acolytes.[14] In the 1900s, Japan began to push away from its
acceptance of homosexuality and introduced laws making sodomy illegal and increased criticism for
homosexual activity.[14] Since then 8.9% of Japanese individuals aged between 20 years old and 59
years old identify as LGBT, and there are currently minimal protections in place against workplace
discrimination, housing discrimination and other forms of discrimination against LGBT identifying
individuals in Japan. Additionally, there is a 'don't ask, don't tell' approach to homosexuals joining
the military, and homosexual men are banned from donating blood to hospitals, unless they refrain
from homosexual activities for 6 months.[15]

男色 (だんしょく) danshoku – male sexual pleasure

同性愛者 (どうせいあいしゃ) dōseiaisha – (literally) same-sex-love person
お釜 (おかま) okama – (literally) pot, slang for gay man
ゲイ gei – gay
ホモ homo – homosexual
ホモセクシャル homosekusharu – homosexual
お鍋 (おなべ) onabe – (literally) pot, slang for gay woman
ビアン bian – lesbian
レズ lezu – lesbian
レズビアン lezubian – lesbian

References
1. "What are some Japanese insults and swear-words?" (https://www.sljfaq.org/afaq/insults.html).
www.sljfaq.org. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
2. "What is Japanese respect language?" (https://www.sljfaq.org/afaq/honorifics.html).
www.sljfaq.org. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
3. thanasiskaravasilis. "7 Major Japanese Dialects You Oughta Know | FluentU Japanese" (https://w
ww.fluentu.com/blog/japanese/different-japanese-dialects/). Retrieved 2019-04-30.

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4. by. "The Honorific Form, the Humble Form, and the Polite Form" (https://www.wasabi-jpn.com/jap
anese-lessons/the-honorific-form-the-humble-form-and-the-polite-form/). Wasabi - Learn
Japanese Online. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
5. "Japanese: A Heavily Culture-Laden Language" (https://immi.se/intercultural/nr10/fengping-gao.ht
m). immi.se. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
6. "Japanese Language - Understanding and Intepreting Japanese" (https://www.thegreatcoursesda
ily.com/aspects-of-the-japanese-language/). The Great Courses Daily. 2017-02-14. Retrieved
2019-05-01.
7. "Japanese Verb Forms" (https://www.coscom.co.jp/japaneseverb/japaneseverb01-jpr.html).
www.coscom.co.jp. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
8. Kim, Tae (2017-10-16). "Potential Form" (http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/grammar/potentia
l). Learn Japanese. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
9. "Japanese Grammar - Negative Plain Form of Verbs | PuniPuniJapan" (https://www.punipunijapa
n.com/japanese-nai-form/). Retrieved 2019-05-10.
10. Suzuki, Mami (2015-10-23). "Bowing in Japan" (https://www.tofugu.com/japan/bowing-in-japan/).
Tofugu. Retrieved 2019-05-10.
11. "human reproductive system | Definition, Diagram & Facts" (https://www.britannica.com/science/h
uman-reproductive-system). Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
12. Editors, History com. "Hirohito" (https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/hirohito-1). HISTORY.
Retrieved 2019-04-30.
13. "Wayback Machine" (https://web.archive.org/web/20100816095644/http://jgss.daishodai.ac.jp/res
earch/monographs/jgssm8/jgssm8_2.pdf) (PDF). web.archive.org. 2010-08-16. Retrieved
2019-05-17.
14. Furukawa, Makoto. "The Changing Nature of Sexuality: The Three Codes Framing
Homosexuality in Modern Japan". U.S.-Japan Women's Journal. English Supplement. 7.
15. "LGBT Rights in Japan" (https://www.equaldex.com/region/japan). Equaldex. Retrieved
2019-04-30.

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