Takashi's Japanese Dictionary (Takashionary)

Takashi's Japanese Dictionary (Takashionary) Explains Japanese Slang Words and Idioms!

  • Home
  • Post Category ▾
    • There’s a word for it
    • Idioms/Words by theme
    • Slang
    • Idiom
    • Column
    • Grammar
    • 日本語記事 (in Japanese)
  • Selected Posts
  • Idiom List
  • About
  • Contact

Home » Standard » 音痴 (onchi) Meaning “Bad at Singing” in Japanese

音痴 (onchi) Meaning “Bad at Singing” in Japanese

October 16, 2018

Pronunciation

https://takashionary.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/20200628-194612.m4a

Definition

音痴 (おんち, onchi) describes a person who is extremely bad at singing. When onchi people go to karaoke with their friends, they either try to blend into the background or sing onchi-friendly songs (e.g. songs of Japanese idol groups).

Onchi as a Suffix

Onchi is also used as a suffix that means “poor at something”. Here are four common phrases that include onchi as a suffix:

運動うんどう音痴 (Undou Onchi: “Exercise Onchi”): be poor at sports; uncoordinated

機械きかい音痴 (Kikai Onchi: “Machine Onchi”): be poor at handling machines/technology

方向ほうこう音痴 (Houkou Onchi: “Direction Onchi”): have a poor sense of direction

味あじ音痴 (Aji Onchi: “Taste Onchi”): have a poor sense of taste

These phrases are often used when people say they are poor at something (e.g. “運動音痴だから足あしが遅おそい” meaning “Because I’m an exercise onchi (poor at sports/exercise), I run very slow.”)

Word Structure

音痴 consists of the two kanji characters “音おん” (on) and “痴ち” (chi). The former means “sound”, and the latter means “irrational”. Onchi is sometimes written in katakana as “オンチ”, especially when it is used as a suffix.

Example Sentences

Ex1
俺おれ、音痴だからSMAP の曲きょくしか歌うたえないわ
Because I’m bad at singing, I can only sing the songs of SMAP
(Note) SMAP had been one of the most popular male idol groups in Japan until it broke up in 2016. Some of their songs are very popular among 音痴 because they are very famous and easy to sing.

Ex2
うちの母ははは機械きかい音痴だからスマートフォンの使つかい方かたがわからない
Because my mother is poor at using machine and technology, she cannot understand how to use a smartphone.

Ex3

方向音痴だから、Google Mapを使つかっても簡単かんたんに迷まよう。

Because I have a bad sense of direction, I easily get lost even if I use Google Map.

Ex4

味音痴だから牛肉ぎゅうにくと豚肉ぶたの味あじの違ちがいがよくわからない。

Because I have a poor sense of taste, I don’t understand the differences of taste on beef and pork.

Synonyms: 下手へた (be poor at)
Synonyms in English: tone-deaf, bad singer
Related words and phrases: 運動音痴, 機械音痴, 方向音痴, 味音痴

Filed Under: Standard


Related Posts

  • ふつつか者 (futsutsuka mono): Lovely Word to Humble Yourself

  • イチャモン (ichamon) Meaning ‘Unreasonable Complaints’ in Japanese

  • ヤンキー (yankee), 不良 (furyou) Meaning “Juvenile Delinquent” in Japanese

  • Meanings of Kaedama, Menkata and Barikata of Ramen Noodles

  • でかした (dekashita) Meaning “Well Done” in a Playful Tone

Search on Takashionary
(e.g. funny idioms, slang)

If you like this page, follow me on social media!

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Follow me!

  • E-mail
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Search on Takashionary
(e.g. food, idiom, slang)

Ads

Popular Posts

List of Words by Theme

  • 20+ Essential Japanese Words and Idioms to Describe Food
  • Let’s “Zagin De Shīsū”: Japanese “Back Slang” From 1980s Explained
  • うるさい = Choosy? Another Meaning of Basic Japanese Words
  • Black History, Cat Tongue: Intriguing Japanese Compound Words
  • 40 Funny Japanese Old Slang Words to Sound like Oyaji (Old Men)

Idiom

  • “The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?” Could Mean “I love You” in Japanese
  • 独身貴族 (Dokushin Kizoku) Meaning “An Unmarried Noble” in Japanese
  • 十八番 (ohako) Meaning “The Songs You Sing the Best”
  • ありがた迷惑 (arigata meiwaku) Meaning “Unwelcome Favour” in Japanese
  • Japanese Idioms about Mochi: 餅 (もち), Japanese Rice Cake!

Japlish

  • 深夜テンション (shinya tension) Meaning “Midnight High” in Japanese Slang
  • List of Japanese Wasei Eigo (“Engrish”) and Their Meanings
  • ペーパードライバー: Meaning ‘Paper Driver’ in Japlish (Japanese English)
  • Sekuhara, Pawahara, Aruhara: Meanings of Harassment in Japanese
  • Think More “About” – Meaning of “アバウト” in Japlish (Japanese English)

Slang

  • Meanings and Usages of かな, とか, かも: Japanese Vague Expressions
  • Idiom 何を隠そう (nani o kakusou) Meaning “Well, in fact…”
  • 女たらし (onna tarashi) Meaning ‘Lady’s Man’ in Japanese
  • Meaning of *活: 婚活 (Konkatsu), 就活/終活 (Shūkatsu) and 朝活 (Asakatsu)
  • オワコン (Owakon) Meaning ‘Old-Fashioned’ in Japanese Slang

Column

  • Success Journey of Ichiro Suzuki with 4367 Hits in Japan and US
  • Origin and Meaning of Reiwa (令和), Japan’s New Imperial Era
  • What’s 合コン (gōkon) and 街コン (machikon) in Japanese
  • Heisei Saw “Titanic” Economic Bubble Followed by ‘The Lost Two Decades’
  • “Omission of Words” and “Unfinished Sentences” in Japanese

Grammar

  • 全然おいしい: Meaning of 全然 (zenzen) in Positive Sentences Without ない (Nai)
  • Difference Between に and で as Japanese Location Particles
  • Essential Grammar in Kansai Dialect (関西弁, Kansai ben)
  • Grammar and Meaning of あげる, くれる, もらう: How Different?

日本語記事

  • 初見では分からない「他界する」を意味する英語イディオム、婉曲表現
  • 韻を踏むお茶目な英語表現、単語、フレーズ、イディオム30+
  • 頭に情景やイメージが浮かぶ面白い英語イディオム、比喩35+
  • 直訳出来ない不思議な英語表現、イディオム12
  • 意外と英語に直訳できる日英共通のイディオム、諺

Categories

Copyright © 2021 · All Rights Reserved