ジンクス
jinkusu[d͡ʑĩŋkɯ̟sɨ]
The Japanese word for 'jinx' is ジンクス (jinkusu), which refers to a person or thing believed to bring bad luck.
Meaning: a person or thing supposed to bring bad luck (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
jinkusu
Did you know?
- The English loanword ジンクス is frequently used in a positive sense in Japan, such as saying someone has a 'good jinx' for winning games.
- Athletes in Japan often discuss their ジンクス as a set of specific pre-game routines, such as eating a certain food or wearing specific socks, to ensure a win.
- If you want to describe a person who brings bad luck, you might use the word 厄持ち (yakumochi) instead of the loanword ジンクス.
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are talking about a sports game.
- 結衣 Yui赤い靴を履くと負けるジンクスがあるの。Akai kutsu o haku to makeru jinkusu ga aru no.I have a jinx where I lose if I wear red shoes.
- 健太 Kenta本当にそんなジンクスがあるの？Hontō ni sonna jinkusu ga aru no?Do you really have a jinx like that?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、だから今日は青い靴を履いたよ。Un, dakara kyō wa aoi kutsu o haita yo.Yeah, that's why I wore blue shoes today.
- 健太 Kentaなるほど。今日はきっと勝てるね。Naruhodo. Kyō wa kitto kateru ne.I see. You'll surely win today.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ジンクス, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
