自閉症の
Jiheishō no
The Japanese word for 'autistic' is 自閉症の (Jiheishō no).
The term 自閉症の is used as an adjective to describe someone or something pertaining to autism.
Meaning: having or pertaining to autism (adj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is built from the noun 自閉症 (autism) and the particle の. The noun 自閉症 is composed of the characters 自 (self), 閉 (close) and 症 (condition/syndrome).
Which one should you use?
The more modern and clinical term for autism spectrum disorder is 自閉スペクトラム症.
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle の is used to turn the noun 自閉症 (autism) into an adjective that modifies a noun.
How do you pronounce it?
Jiheishō no
Did you know?
- Japanese media sometimes uses the phrase 個性的 (koseiteki), meaning 'unique' or 'individualistic', as a euphemism for autistic traits. This frames the behavior as a personality strength rather than a clinical condition.
- In Japan, the term 発達障害 (hattatsu shōgai), meaning 'developmental disorder', is often used as a polite umbrella term. People may use this broader phrase instead of 自閉症の to be less specific and more discreet in social settings.
- The word 自閉 (self-closing) is closely related to the concept of 引きこもり (hikikomori), or social withdrawal. While one is a clinical condition and the other a social phenomenon, both share the linguistic theme of retreating from the world.
Examples in context
- 自閉症の子供は飽きることを知らない。Autistic children never get bored.This sentence is useful for showing how to use 自閉症の to modify a noun like 'children'.Tatoeba #82615 by Scott, translation #3584929 by mikecash
- 自閉症の特性を持つ人が増えています。Jiheishō no tokusei o motsu hito ga fuete imasu.People with autistic traits are increasing.
- 彼は自閉症の診断を受けました。Kare wa jiheishō no shindan o ukemashita.He received an autism diagnosis.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are discussing a documentary about neurodiversity.
- 蓮 Ren自閉症の人の生き方について教えてくれる番組だよ。Jiheishō no hito no ikikata ni tsuite oshiete kureru bangumi dayo.It is a program that teaches about how autistic people live.
- 結衣 Yui蓮君、その番組はとても面白そうだね。Ren-kun, sono bangumi wa totemo omoshirosō dane.Ren, that program looks very interesting.
- 蓮 Renうん、新しい視点が得られると思う。Un, atarashii shiten ga erareru to omou.Yeah, I think we can gain a new perspective.
- 結衣 Yui一緒に見てもいい？Issho ni mite mo ii?Can I watch it with you?
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
