In this article, we are going to share swear words in Japanese, called in the language of warui kotoba [悪い言葉]. You will learn name-calling, slang, insults and other bad things in the Japanese language. Hope you like the article.
It is worth making it clear that most of the expletives in Japanese, do not have their translation literally offensive. Most of the time the Japanese insult each other with pronouns and other words that for the Portuguese language can be harmless.
Table of Contents
Warui Kotoba - Swear Words in Japanese
In Japan it is not customary to speak slang of sexual connotation in public, nor profanity of this type, there are some cases and diversities, but the profanity we know here are not used in Japan in a common way.
People often translate these swear words and insults in Japanese incorrectly, making it seem that a certain word is equivalent to something immoral or offensive in Portuguese. Rarely will a Japanese word be like that, but it can have the same impact.
We noticed, that they translate things that have nothing to do with Fuck or Fuck. I watching an episode of No Game No Life and the protagonist says: dameda [ダメだ] which means Useless, and the fansub subtitled it as fucked up.
It is worth mentioning that, yes, there are taboo words with sexual connotations, offensive and terrible, but they are not commonly used to insult others. Warui Kotoba [悪い言葉] is a common term for bad words, but it is not the only term, or the most used.
I made a video explaining more about Japanese swear words and their pronunciations and meanings:
Bubetsu - Insult - Scornful Words
There is a Japanese word called "bubetsu" [侮蔑] that can be literally translated as contempt or insult. Unlike "warui kotoba," the word bubetsu is not limited to just words or actions, but also to depreciative feelings and their intent.
In fact, bubetsu is a standard term for the many synonyms and phenomenological forms of contempt that we will list below. In addition to swearing, you will learn the different categories of insult in Japanese:
| Japanese | Romaji | Meanings |
| 悪態 | akutai | abusive language |
| 悪口 | waruguchi | Slander, speak ill |
| 罵倒 | hit | Defamation, Verbal abuse, disparagement |
| 卑罵 | hiba | pejorative, derogatory word |
| 憎まれ口 | nikumareguchi | abusive language |
| 雑言 | zoogon | foul language |
| そしり | soshiri | Criticism, censorship, disparagement |
| ののしり | nonoshiri | curse, insult |
| 皮肉 | hiniku | Irony, sarcasm, cynicism, satire |
| あだ名 | Fluente | Surname |
| 侮辱語 | bujoku-go | Insult |
| 蔑視語 | besshi-go | contempt, disdain |
| 毒舌 | dokuzetsu | perverse language |
| 罵詈 | bari | abusive language |
| 罵倒 | batō | Denunciation, depreciation, defamation |
| 揶揄 | yayu | joke, teasing |
| 非難 | hinan | Criticism, blame, censure, attack |
| 皮肉 | hiniku | Irony, sarcasm, cynicism, satire |
| 風刺 | fūshi | satire; irony; sarcasm |
| 陰口 | kageguchi | malicious gossip; slander; talking behind someone's back |
In Japanese, many synonyms were generated when ideograms were imported and evolved over time, this gave rise to dozens of types of contempt and insults shown above and also to many synonyms and variations of swear words.
In the past, there were Japanese poems and decapitations in the Nara and Heian eras that applied the rhetorical technique of Kanji to insult. Things are not limited to words alone, some people often create hidden puns or use sarcastic spelling errors.
Higo - Vulgar and Pejorative Swearing
When it comes to swear words or bad words, the term Higo [卑語] can be used to categorize abusive words that should be avoided in public. Some words are commonly used in insults, while others are quite underground.
Words in this category most often refer to slang for genitals, intercourse, excrement, semen, buttocks, breasts, and other related words. You may be interested in reading the article on sexual words. See some:
We recommend reading: Japanese vocabulary and sex phrases
Swear words related to Genitalia
Below are some words related to genitals that can be used to insult others in Japanese:
- Chin Chin [ちんちん] - Penís;
- Kintama [金玉] - balls;
- Bobo [ぼぼ] - vagina, sex (Kyoto dialect);
- Ketsu [ケツ] - butt, buttocks;
- Ketusnoana [ケツの穴] - ass;
- Chikubi [乳首] - nipples;
- Oppai [おっぱい] - breasts, breasts;
- Paipai [ぱいぱい] - breasts, nipples;
- Oshikko [おしっこ] - penis;
- Ochinchin [おちんちん] - penis;
- Chinko [ちんこ] - penis;
- Chinpo [チンポ] - penis;
- Pokochin [ポコチン] - penis;
- Oppai [おっぱい] - breasts
- Tamatama [たまたま] - testicles;
- Manko [まんこ] - vagina, pussy;
Not all the words mentioned above are derogatory, they may just be slang or referring to genitals. But the mere fact of talking about genitals in public depending on the situation can be despicable.
Swear Words Related to Fucking
It is uncommon to use expressions related to sex in Japanese vocabulary, but there are expressions that represent sexual intercourse, fucking, eating and the like. The expressions below usually mean the same thing:
- Okasu [犯す] - Deflower, rape, violate, commit, perpetrate
- Komasu [こます] - Do, give, eat, fuck;
- Itekomasu [いてこます] - Attack, punch, fuck;
- Kamawohoru [かまをほる] - Asshole, anal fuck, sodomize;
Swearing and Dirty Words
Below we are going to see some dirty Japanese words, things like excrement, turd, feces, etc. The words below are the most common, some will go into another category further down.
- Kuso [糞] - Shit, Damn;
- Kusotare [クソタレ] - Shit yourself;
- Unko [うんこ] - **Shit, drug, poop;**
- Shikko [しっこ] - Pee, urine;
Other ways to insult with higo
It is also common in the “higo” category to use words that convey some pejorative idea. Words related to appearance, constitution, function and countless others. Calling people thieves and bums also fits the "higo".
One way to insult people with "Higo" is by merging these swear words with other swear words or even with the name of the person you want to insult. For example: Benimanko, Kintamani, and Unkorosai. Some will be seen throughout the article.
Swearing and Swearing in Japanese
Now let's look at some of these insults and swearing in Japanese, as well as other words that have a negative effect on conversations. Most Japanese insults or the like are made up of more than one word.
Cursing Appearance in Japanese
The list of swear words below is related to the person's appearance:
- Busu [ブス] - Ugly (used more often in women);
- Busaiku [ 不細工] - Clumsy, ugly;
- Ketou [毛等] - People with different hair colors or people from abroad;
- Gaki [ ガキ] - Shorty, Brat;
- Chibi [ちび] - Small, short (often affectionate);
- Bakemono [化け物] - Monster, horrible thing;
- Debu [デブ] - Your Pig, Filthy, Fat;
- Kitanai [汚い] - Dirty;
- Akuma [悪魔] - Demon, evil;
- Oni [鬼] - Ogre;
- Majyo [魔女] - Witch;
- Obake [おばけ] - Monster, ghost, goblin;
- Deka [デカ] - Great;
- Routai [老体] - Old body, old man, elderly;
- Miira [ミイラ] - Mummy, corpse;
- Taikobara [太鼓腹] - Taiko drum belly;
Animal Swearing in Japanese
It is common to curse others with animal names to describe a certain appearance or personality, see some below:
- Buta [豚] - Pig (used for fat people);
- Kaba [カバ] - Hippopotamus (referring to someone who is fat);
- Zako [雑魚] - Small fish;
- Tako [タコ] - Fearful, Coward (referring to the octopus);
- Yajyuu [野獣] - Wild beast, wild animal;
- Gorira [ゴリラ] - Gorilla (someone wild, violent, and big);
- Saru [さる] - Monkey (mischievous person);
- Koumori [蝙蝠] - Bat (opportunist, turncoat);
- Uma [馬] - Horse;
Swearing Adjectives and Characteristics
Below we will see some Japanese swear words and swear words that are adjectives, or present some characteristic of the person, such as occupation, animal appearance or the person's manner. Words related to intelligence are excluded.
- Hentai [変態] - Pervert, sex maniac;
- Boke [ボケ] - Lazy, tapir, lazy;
- Okama [おかま] - Faggot, Fag, Queer, Gay;
- Kichigai [キチガイ] - Crazy, retarded, stupid;
- Kechi [けち] - Mean, miserly, stingy;
- Dokechi [どけち] - Augmentative of "mesquinho" - mean;
- Hidoi(i) [酷い] - Terrible, Horrible, Bad;
- Saitei(dayo) [最低] - Minor, low, terrible, worse, unpleasant;
- Yariman [やりまん] - Whore, Girl - Sleep with anyone;
- Debesu [出べそ] - Protruding navel;
- Amattare [あまったれ] - Spoiled, dependent, childish;
- Gomi [ゴミ] - Trash;
- Yarou [野郎] - Kid, bastard, idiot, asshole;
- Shounin [小人] - Small child, dwarf, narrow-minded;
- Piero [ピエロ] - Clown;
- Odokemono [戯け者] - Idiot, mannequin, clown, cheater;
Insulting the person's intelligence in Japanese
There are a lot of cursing and profanity referring to the person's intelligence, so we decided to put it separately, see a list below:
- Baka [馬鹿] - idiot, donkey, stupid, fool, clown, silly, goofy, and things like that;
- Otankonasu [おたんこなす] - Idiot, silly, bird brain;
- Aho [あほ] - Stupid;
- Kusottare [クソッタレ] - Idiota - Idiot
- Manuke [間抜け] - Nuance of a silly, idiotic, retarded person;
- Heta(kuso) [下手糞] - Clumsy, awkward, good-for-nothing, useless;
- Doji [どじ] - Clumsy; awkward; spoiled;
- Bontsuke [ぽんつく] - Idiot, stupid;
- Roba [驢馬] - Donkey, big ass (lit. Butt);
- Usagiuma [兎馬] - Donkey, ass (lit. rabbit + horse);
- Arokamono [愚か者] - Fool;
- Funeke [腑抜け] - Idiot, coward;
- Gubetsu [愚物] - Idiot, fool;
- Oko [おこ] - Stupidity;
Insults that are commands and actions
The words below are commands, you are telling the person to do a certain action, they are usually verbs. Enjoy:
- Damatte [黙って] - The Kanji 黙 means silence, stay quiet or shut up.
- Damare [黙れ] - Alternative to "damatte", can be used in both the extension "yo" [よ];
- Shine [死ね] - Die;
- Urusai [うるさい] - Noisy, shut up;
- Ikke-nai [ne] [いっけ-ない] - Drug, don't fuck (lit. Don't go, don't do this);
- Kusokurae [糞食らえ] - screw-it!
- Kutabare [くたばれ] - Suma daqui, Die, fuck;
- Deteike [出て行け] - Get out of here, disappear, scram;
- Bakanisuruna [ばかにするな] - Don't make a fool of me;
- Hikome [ひっこめ] - Get out, go away, come back;
- Namekusatte [なめくさって] - Lick!
Other Swearing in Japanese
The Japanese swear words below didn't fit into any of the previous categories, but they are quite popular:
- Konchikushou [こん畜生] - Fuck, son of a bitch, bastard;
- Kusomajime [クソ真面目] - Excessively serious, no humor, no fun;
- Kimochi warui [気持ち悪い] - Disgusting, horrible, disgusting, unpleasant (Literally, bad feeling.)
- Chikushou [畜生] - (It's an expression of revolt for a circumstance) What the hell!, What the fuck! Look what the fuck!
- Baka Bakashii [ 馬鹿馬鹿しい] - Absurd, ridiculous, madness;
- Nantehetakuso [なんてへたくそ] - What a hell, what a shit;
! Never learn Japanese by studying isolated words. If you are confused about the correct order or method to study the Japanese language, we recommend reading our: Study Guide for Learning Japanese.
Derogatory Suffixes and Prefixes in Japanese
Another way of insulting and cursing people is by using honorific prefixes and suffixes that convey the idea of insulting or derogatory. They are often used before or after a swear word, or even a person's name. See a list of them below:
- Ike [いけ] - prefix used to strengthen a derogatory adjective;
- Ikke [いっけ] - same thing as ike, stronger;
- Me [奴] - Depreciative suffix meaning drug and bastard.
- Kou [公] - Suffix that can become depreciative after a noun;
- Suke [すけ] - Pejorative suffix;
- Kuso [クソ] e Kusare [くされ] - It can be used as a suffix and prefix for shit.
Do [ど] or Don [どん] are also used as a prefix to reinforce some insult. See some examples below:
- Dobeta [ど下手] - Very awkward;
- Doinaka [ど田舎] - Peasant;
- Donbyakushou [どん百姓] - Poor Farmer;
In addition, we can use level prefixes to deprecate something: [二級][下等][三流][平];
Understanding Japanese swear words
We can see that Japanese insults when translating do not have a correct meaning, they can mean several words in English, we also notice the use of additions and modifications of words, as in the case of different forms of insult that use the word ばか (baka).
だよ - Dayo - Few examples were mentioned here, but many insults end with the word Dayo, to confirm, emphasize and increase the insult. Dayo is one of the forms of the verb "to be."
It is also common to mix other insults to enhance them, such as in the case of Baka + Aho / Baka + Yaro / Baka + Mono. It is possible to use them even as a prefix or suffix in names.
It is also worth ing that profanity and some insults can be written in Katakana, as in the case of バカ, in addition to being often seen in katakana in manga and books, to cause a strong and special effect.
There are also insults using the term "Você" itself, such as in the case of "kisama, temee," which means you, but depending on the tone of voice or the region, it can be an insult.
We also have another article that talks about the swear words in Japanese anime. In this article, you will learn in detail about the main words heard in anime such as: "kuso, uzai, chikushou, baka, aho, yatsu, shinee, debu, nanda, temee".
We recommend reading: Slang, profanity, Insults and vulgarities in anime
Japanese slang
Mendokusai - It means something like: what a drag, what a nuisance, uncomfortable, tiring, annoying, irritating, difficult, problematic, laborious, and others. This word can be used in different situations, both as an insult and to express irritation.
Mukatsuku – It means Annoying! This is Japanese slang that you can use in a sentence or by itself when you want to complain about something or someone that is getting in your way!
Kimoi - A shortened version of "kimochi warui", which means disgusting or disgusted. If something bothers you, a simple "Kimoi!" enough to show your revulsion! This can be used to describe someone or something's actions as well as appearance.
See too: What does kimochi really mean in Japanese
Dasai – Means ugly, lame, or old-fashioned. It can be used to describe appearances and actions. If someone is completely reckless, you can say they are “dasai" and if you're wearing horrible clothes, you can also say "dasai".
Bimyō [微妙] – Means questionable or uncertain. You can use the word bimyō to describe something that is neither good nor bad, however it is generally used to describe the bad.
Majide – Does it mean something like serious? True? Really? Also expressions like chō or metcha can be used in different occasions. If you want to know more Japanese slang, what do you think about visiting the famous Yabai.
See too: Do you know what Yabai means?
insulting phrases in japanese
To end the article, we will also see some phrases, questions and answers that can become insults. Realize that there are different ways to say such phrases, and that the phrases below must be pronounced in a strong way, otherwise they will be normal phrases, and not insults.
| Rōmaji | KANJI/KANA | HIRAGANA | Please provide the text you would like to have translated. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nanda-yo?/ Nani-yo?/ | 何だよ? | なんだよ | What is yours? What was it? (Used in times of anger, with an authoritative tone.) |
| Namen jyaneyo | なめんじゃねよ | Literally e: Don't lick me, but I mean, don't underestimate me, don't falter, don't step on the ball. | |
| What did he say? / What did she say? | なんて言ったんだよ? | なんていったんだよ | What did you say? |
| Don't mess with me! | ふざけないでよ! | Stop acting stupid! Do not underestimate me! | |
| Fool yamete yo [stop, stop it, do it] | ばかやめてよ | Stop being stupid. | |
| Don't be silly! / Don't say foolish things! | バカ言わないでよ! | くそ | Don't say stupid things! |
| Kakko tsukenna yo | かっこ付けんなよ | Don't try to be cool / Stop being show off. | |
| Bukkoroshite yaru! | ぶっ殺してやる | ぶっころしてやる | I'll end with you. (Literally: I will beat you to death.) |
| Kono yaro! | このやろ | I'll get you, you miserable... [says this before punching someone]. | |
| Eraso ni suruna yo! | 偉そうにするなよ | えらそにするなよ！ | Don't be so cocky! |
| Nani sama no tsumori? | 何様のつもり | なにさまのつもり | Who do you think you are? |
| Keri wo tsuke yoze! | けりをつけようぜ | Let's get this over with. | |
| Why did you do something like that? | 何でそんなことしたの | きたない | Why did you do that? |
Other Ways to Swear in Japanese
One way to insult is using metaphors, we can call the person with the name of low-value objects like garbage, feces, shit and others. It is common for the Japanese to also insult with names of animals, fruits and other objects that may have some characteristic.
The Japanese also like to belittle another person using words of honor. By implication, we can use good and magnificent words to give honor exaggeratedly and sarcastically.
Others use their own spelling or mispronouncement on purpose to mix up or create some sarcastic insult. In fact, there are thousands of ways to insult people in Japanese. Over time we will update you!
I hope you enjoyed this list of swearing and swearing in Japanese. We recommend reading our article that talks in detail about one of the most used swear words in the Japanese language.
Also read: What does Baka mean in Japanese?
To finish the article I will leave some videos about swear words in Japanese for you to listen and learn.
