Working with some difficult first year high school students on a two-day experience program, I decided to mollify them at the end of yesterday by promising to teach them some English swear words today.
Advocating swear words has been a minor roles in my life. I’ve always been a fan of cussing. When I was a kid, Leslie, my mother’s friend, dismissed her daughter’s swearing by saying “it’s only words” (Mom was horrified) and I have held that in my heart all these many years.
Swearing can be cathartic. It adds emphasis and color to a conversation. But swearing needs to be done right or it sounds stupid. And since swearing’s not common in Japanese, but obviously known in English through films and so on, I really enjoy a chance to help young Japanese with rough language in English.
When I was asked to be godmother to Max, a foreign kid born and raised in Tokyo, I had a problem. I don’t believe in God. My godmother duties would have to be comparative religions and I could also teaching him how to swear. But my godson, now a teenager, refuses to swear. I even showed him one of my favorite comedic videos, ISMO doing a bit on “shit” (has has a good one on “ass”, too). But Max is firmly Japanese in that regard. Someday, maybe…
But for the school kids today, they suggested “fuck” and I agreed, as it is so common and versatile! After we completed making straw turtles, I sat them down and we practiced the F word.
Grammatically, of course. With flashcards. And we discussed how “fuck” can be a noun, verb, adjective, or exclamation. We played with extending the vowel and tone depending on the severity of the problem. Fuck vs Fuuuuuuuuck.
I asked Claude.ai for some help, because I wasn’t confident about the appropriate Japanese translations. Now I know them and so can you – no matter whether you need the English or Japanese. I put together a glossary.
E<>J Fuckionary
NOUNS
- What the fuck?” โ “ไธไฝไฝ๏ผ” (ittai nani?) or “ไฝใฆใใฃใ๏ผ” (nante kotta!) Expresses surprise/disbelief/confusion
- “I don’t give a fuck” โ “ใฉใใงใใใ” (dou demo ii) Shows complete disinterest/dismissal
- “For fuck’s sake” โ “ใใใๅๅผใใฆใ” (mou, kanben shite yo) Used when exasperated/frustrated
- “Who the fuck…?” โ “ไธไฝ่ชฐใ ใ๏ผ” (ittai dare da yo?) Expressing angry/annoyed questioning
VERBS
- “Fuck off” โ “ๆถใใ” (kiero) or “ใใฃใกใธ่กใ” (acchi e ike) Telling someone to go away, ranges from annoyed to angry
- “Fuck you” โ “ใใใฐใ” (kutabare) Expressing anger/contempt toward someone
- “I fucked up” โ “ใใฃใกใใฃใ” (yatchatta) or “ใใใใฃใ” (shikujitta) Admitting a mistake
- “Fuck around and find out” โ “ใใฃใฆใฟใใ” (yatte miro yo) Warning of consequences
- “Let’s fuck off” (leave) โ “ใใใใ่กใใใ” (sorosoro ikou ze) Casual suggestion to leave
- “Stop fucking around” โ “ใตใใใใช” (fuzakeru na) Telling someone to get serious
ADJECTIVES
- “Fucking hell” โ “ใชใใฆใใฃใ” (nante kotta) or “ใใธใใ” (maji kayo) General exclamation of frustration/surprise
- “This is fucking awesome” โ “ใใธใใฐใ” (maji yabai) or “่ถ ๆ้ซ” (chou saikou) Strong positive excitement
- “Are you fucking kidding me?” โ “ๅ่ซใงใใใ๏ผ” (joudan deshou?) or “ใใธใง่จใฃใฆใใฎ๏ผ” (maji de itten no?) Disbelief/annoyance
- “I’m so fucking tired” โ “่ถ ็ฒใใ” (chou tsukareta) Emphasizing extreme fatigue
EXCLAMATIONS
- “Fuuuuck!” โ “ใใพใฃใ๏ผ” (shimatta!) or “ใใฐใ๏ผ” (yabai!) General exclamation when something goes wrong
- “Fuck it, let’s do it” โ “ใใใใใใใใใ” (mou ii ya, yarou) Giving up hesitation and deciding to proceed
Some of the students engaged deeply with the lesson and there were many fucks said. Others were a little bewildered. What I absolutely loved is that the teacher asked me for the cards after the lesson. Then she sat with the girls and they reviewed them!
I am also including here, Claude’s solid explanation of the grammar with example sentences, in case you want some more fuckery.
ๆๆณใฎ่ชฌๆ (Bunpou no setsumei) – Grammar explanation:
ๅ่ฉ (Meishi) – Noun:
“I don’t give a fuck” โ ใ็ฉไบใ(monogoto) ใจใใฆไฝฟ็จ
“That was a total fuck-up”
Example explanation: ใๅคฑๆใ(shippai) ใฎใใใซใ็ฉไบใจใใฆๆฑใๅ ดๅ
ๅ่ฉ (Doushi) – Verb
“to fuck up” = ๅคฑๆใใ (shippai suru)
“to fuck off” = ็ซใกๅปใ (tachisaru)
Example explanation: ใใใใใ่กใใใฎใใใซใ่กๅใ่กจใๅ ดๅ
ๅฝขๅฎน่ฉ (Keiyoushi) – Adjective:
“fucking amazing” = ใใใ/ใจใฆใ (sugoku/totemo)
Example explanation: ใใจใฆใใใฎใใใซไปใฎ่จ่ใไฟฎ้ฃพใใๅ ดๅ
ๆๅ่ฉ (Kantaishi) – Interjection/Exclamation:
“Fuck!” = ใใพใฃใ๏ผ(shimatta!)
Example explanation: ใใใฃ๏ผใใใใฃ๏ผใใฎใใใซใๆๆ
ใ่กจใไธ่ชใจใใฆไฝฟใๅ ดๅ
ๅฏ่ฉ (Fukushi) – Adverb:
“fucking quickly” = ใใกใใใกใๆฉใ (mechakucha hayaku)
Example explanation: ๅไฝใ็ถๆ
ใฎ็จๅบฆใๅผทใใๅ ดๅ
ๆใฎไพ (Bun no rei) – Sentence examples showing different uses:
Noun: “That’s a big fuck-up” โ ใใใฏๅคงใใชๅคฑๆใ (Sore wa ookina shippai da)
Verb: “I fucked up” โ ็งใฏๅคฑๆใใ (Watashi wa shippai shita)
Adjective: “This is fucking great” โ ใใใฏใใใใใ (Kore wa sugoku ii)
Exclamation: “Oh fuck!” โ ใใพใฃใ๏ผ(Shimatta!)
Adverb: “He ran fucking fast” โ ๅฝผใฏใใกใใใกใ้ใ่ตฐใฃใ (Kare wa mechakucha hayaku hashitta)