禿げ頭の男
hageatama no otoko
The phrase "bald man" in Japanese is 禿げ頭の男 (hageatama no otoko).
This phrase refers to a man who has little or no hair on his head.
What does it mean word for word?
The expression is composed of 禿げ頭 (bald head) followed by the particle の (which functions like 's or 'of') and 男 (man).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Using the full phrase 禿げ頭の男 is a descriptive way to identify a person, but one should be cautious with the underlying term 禿げ in social situations.
How do you pronounce it?
hageatama no otoko
Did you know?
- The term 禿げ is based on a verb that historically referred to trees losing their leaves or forests becoming barren.
- There is a specific term スキンヘッド which is a loanword from the English 'skinhead', but in Japanese, it refers purely to the fashion choice of shaving the head rather than a political subculture.
- In Japanese pop culture, particularly in comedy, a bald head is often treated as a 'lucky' or 'shiny' trait and is used for physical gags involving rubbing the head.
Examples in context
- 私の上司は禿げ頭の方です。My boss is a bald-headed person.
- 禿げ頭の男が歩いてくる。Hageatama no otoko ga aruite kuru.A bald man is walking toward us.
Example conversation
Himi and Kenta are looking for a specific person in a crowd.
- 陽葵 Himari健太、あの禿げ頭の男が彼かな？Kenta, ano hageatama no otoko ga kare kana?Kenta, is that bald man him?
- 健太 Kentaいいえ, 彼は髪があるはずです。Iie, kare wa kami ga aru hazu desu.No, he is supposed to have hair.
- 陽葵 Himariじゃあ、誰を待っているの？Jaa, dare o matte iru no?Then, who are we waiting for?
- 健太 Kentaあそこにいる背の高い人です。Asoko ni iru se no takai hito desu.It is the tall person over there.
