穀潰し
gokutsubushi
The phrase "useless child" in Japanese is 穀潰し (gokutsubushi).
穀潰し is used to describe a person, often an adult child or a dependent, who is seen as a social or economic burden. It is applied to those who are perceived as eating and living without contributing to their family or society, similar to the English term "parasite".
How do you pronounce it?
gokutsubushi
Did you know?
- In traditional Japanese contexts, wasting rice was considered a grave sin or a social failure, which is why the imagery of 'destroying grain' carries such heavy social stigma.
- While 穀潰し can be a harsh insult, it is sometimes used as a self-deprecating joke by students or unemployed adults to acknowledge their dependence on their parents.
- The suffix 潰し (tsubushi) can be used in other contexts to mean 'crushing' or 'ruining' something, such as a hobby or a reputation, showing its versatility in describing destruction.
Examples in context
- 働かずにただ食べてばかりの穀潰しだ。Hatarakazu ni tada tabete bakari no kokutsubushi da.He is a useless child who does nothing but eat without working.
- 親に迷惑をかける穀潰しになってはいけない。Oya ni meiwaku wo kakeru kokutsubushi ni natte wa ikenai.You must not become a useless child who is a burden to your parents.
Example conversation
Ren is being scolded by Misaki for not looking for work.
- 美咲 Misaki蓮、いい加減に穀潰しはやめてください。Ren, ii kagen ni kokutsubushi wa yamete kudasai.Ren, please stop being a useless child already.
- 蓮 Ren分かってるよ。もうすぐ面接があるんだ。Wakatteru yo. Mou sugu mensetsu ga aru nda.I know. I have an interview coming up soon.
- 美咲 Misaki口だけなら誰でも言えますよ。Kuchi dake nara dare demo iemasu yo.Anyone can say that.
- 蓮 Ren本当に探してるから、信じてくれよ。Hontou ni sagashiteru kara, shinjite kure yo.I'm really looking, so please believe me.
