Japanese · Words You'll Hear But Must Never Say
気違い
kichigai
kee-chee-GUY · /kitɕiɡai/
Lunatic / madman (broadcast-banned ableist slur)
nuclear/taboo — comprehension only, never recommended
Literally
"spirit gone wrong / deranged"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
You'll meet this in older novels, films, and manga, but never say it: it's a broadcast-banned (hōsо̄ kinshi yōgo) slur against people with mental illness, and modern speakers avoid it entirely. When quoting old media, Japanese now substitute a paraphrase. The everyday, non-slur way to say someone's acting crazy is "atama okashii" — use that instead.
Heard in the wild
昔の小説には出てくるが、今は完全な放送禁止用語。
It appears in old novels, but it's now a fully banned word.
Where it lands
Nationwide; broadcast-banned
Quick answers
- What does "気違い" mean?
- In Japanese, "気違い" means "Lunatic / madman (broadcast-banned ableist slur)". Literally it's "spirit gone wrong / deranged". You'll meet this in older novels, films, and manga, but never say it: it's a broadcast-banned (hōsо̄ kinshi yōgo) slur against people with mental illness, and modern speakers avoid it entirely. When quoting old media, Japanese now substitute a paraphrase. The everyday, non-slur way to say someone's acting crazy is "atama okashii" — use that instead.
- Is "気違い" offensive?
- Yes — very. It rates 5/5 on the Punch-o-Meter (Do not deploy). nuclear/taboo — comprehension only, never recommended. Read the usage note before you even think about it.
- How do you pronounce "気違い"?
- Say it "kee-chee-GUY" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: kitɕiɡai.
Related in Japanese
The same idea, elsewhere
Via concepts like "That's crazy".
- French C'est ouf ! That's insane! / Crazy! (good or bad)
- German einen Vogel zeigen You've got a screw loose / you're insane
- Greek τρελάθηκες; Are you crazy?! / Have you lost your mind?
- Korean 미친 Crazy — from 'that's insane(ly good)!' to 'you lunatic' to a genuine slur on someone's sanity.
- Polish masakra A disaster / unbelievable / total carnage — the all-purpose 'this is insane.'
- Portuguese Sinistro Sick! / Insane! (both awesome and scary)
- Russian Псих! Psycho / nutcase
- Turkish Deli oluyorum! I'm losing my mind / this is driving me crazy
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