コミュ障 (komyushou) Meaning ‘Suck at Communication’ in Japanese

If you’re an anime lover, you may have heard this word, コミュ障 (komyushou), in the popular Japanese manga/anime “古見さんは、コミュ症です” (“Komi Can’t Communicate”), which literally means “Komi-san is komyushou.”

Definition of Komyushou

コミュ障 (こみゅしょう, komyushou) is a Japanese slang word that means “suck at communication”. Although it is an abbreviation of ‘コミュニケーション障害しょうがい (communication disorder)’, it actually describes a person with poor social skill, not the actual disability. For instance, you are regarded as コミュ障 if you often become isolated in a social event and end up checking your smartphone meticulously to pretend that you are tied up with something. Although the word itself is a derogatory term, it is often used to describe oneself in a self-deprecating and somewhat exaggerated way, as in ‘おれコミュ障だから…’ meaning ‘Because I suck at communication…’. By the time when the COVID-19 crisis is over, chances are most people may end up being コミュ障, forgetting how to communicate with others in reality.

Meaning of 人見知り (ひとみしり, hitomishiri)

人見知り (ひとみしり, hitomishiri) is a more general and neutral word than コミュ障 and means ‘feel shy or nervous when talking with someone (that you haven’t met or don’t know well)’. This word is also often used to describe one’s personality, like “introverted”.

Example Sentences

(1) 昨日きのうパーティー行いったけど、コミュ障だから誰だれとも話はなせなかった
I went to the party yesterday, but because I’m コミュ障 (sh*t at communication) I couldn’t talk to anyone there.
(2) シェアハウスに住すむのはコミュ障には辛つらすぎる
It is too hard for コミュ障 (people who suck at communication) to live in a shared house

See als0

Meaning of ぼっち (Bocchi) and クリぼっち (Kuri Bocchi) in Japanese Slang