Japanese Profanity and the Trilled R Sound

nhk9 · 31 Aug 2006

I just have a couple of questions about profanity in Japanese and the trilled R sound. Thanks in advance

In yakuza or war movies we often here the trilled r sound used by those who want to threaten others. Words that often are associated with this trilled sound are "こら"、"この野郎"、"殺してやれ！" Now I just want to know whether or not most Japanese people can make this trilled sound. If I were to randomly pick 100 people in Tokyo, what do you speculate the percentage of people who can mimick this sound to be? Females are asked to generally speak in softer Japanese, but when asked to, can they produce this sound?

Also, I read from a book that the worst profanity that can be used toward females in Japan would be the word "不細工" (busaiku) meaning "ugly". Do you agree with this, or is there another word that is worse? Also, what would the corresponding word used against male be? I suspect "この野郎" is a very harsh word, but not sure if there are other similar, or worse, words.

Again, Thanks very much!

Edited つづり

epigene · 31 Aug 2006

I think those words and phrases are already slightly outdated and have lost their original impact.

不細工 is read "busaiku."

I think the younger Japanese members of this forum can come up with the latest words. (They keep on changing, I've given up keeping track of them but still can figure out what they mean.)

pipokun · 31 Aug 2006

It is much easier for most Japanese than French "r", I think. But the words in your post are nothing but Japanese after all.

This is not the r, but some Japanese cannot slurp when they eat ramen or soba.

yamada · 3 Sep 2006

nhk9 said:
Now I just want to know whether or not most Japanese people can make this trilled sound. If I were to randomly pick 100 people in Tokyo, what do you speculate the percentage of people who can mimick this sound to be? Females are asked to generally speak in softer Japanese, but when asked to, can they produce this sound?

Maybe 100%. As you fully understand, never make that sound in front of Japanese.

JimmySeal · 4 Sep 2006

It seems like a lot more Japanese than English speakers can make a trilled R sound.

epigene · 4 Sep 2006

The closest trilled r sound I hear in Western languages is in Spanish as in: Caramba!
(Sorry, I don't know how to type in that upside-down exclamation point in Spanish... )

Nysha · 6 Sep 2006

epigene said:
The closest trilled r sound I hear in Western languages is in Spanish as in: Caramba!
(Sorry, I don't know how to type in that upside-down exclamation point in Spanish... )

☝

I'm Spanish and I cannot seem to get rid of the "R sound" when talking in Japanese... it doesn't happen with all the words, just with some of them ...

I don't really like the idea of sounding like a yakuza.... oh well, I guess I have to work on it. should be fun.

Kyoko_desu · 6 Sep 2006

Originally Posted by nhk9
Now I just want to know whether or not most Japanese people can make this trilled sound. If I were to randomly pick 100 people in Tokyo, what do you speculate the percentage of people who can mimick this sound to be?
Females are asked to generally speak in softer Japanese, but when asked to, can they produce this sound?

Hmmm in my opinion 80-90%. I can do it, but some Japanese people I know are not able to make this trilled R sound. When we noticed that the Phillipino trainees trill their R's when speaking Tagalog or English, we tried to learn to produce that sound and about 80-90% of us could. That's how I figured out this percentage.

Originally Posted by nhk9
Also, I read from a book that the worst profanity that can be used toward females in Japan would be the word "不細工" (busaiku) meaning "ugly". Do you agree with this, or is there another word that is worse? Also, what would the corresponding word used against male be? I suspect "この野郎" is a very harsh word, but not sure if there are other similar, or worse, words.

Not really. For me the word "busaiku" is just a plain word meaning "ugly". It sure hurts the person you say it to though. And hmmm. I really can't think of any word that could be as bad/harsh as the English ones such as "bi*ch", "****", "sh*t". 「この野郎」 isn't strong enough to be as harsh as them either...

If I got really p*ssed off and wanted to hurt someone, I would just say 「死ね。」（しね - literally "Die." or "Kill yourself." but really like "Go to hell.") very quietly in a cold voice. 「最低・・・」 would probably work well too. It's pronounced "saitei" and literally means "the worst" . Aww I hope I'm not scaring people away.... And I strongly recommend you not to say those words if you want to be nice here.

Originally Posted by Nysha
I'm Spanish and I cannot seem to get rid of the "R sound" when talking in Japanese... it doesn't happen with all the words, just with some of them ...
I don't really like the idea of sounding like a yakuza....

Ohh I know what you are talking about, jejeje, but please do not worry, no one here will think you are Yakuza only because you trill your R sound, although we DO make that sound when mimicking Yakuza.

ricecake · 6 Sep 2006

nhk9 said:
I just have a couple of questions about profanity in Japanese and the trilled R sound.In yakuza or war movies we often here the trilled r sound used by those who want to threaten others.

I've noticed it too in some of those Japanese TV doramas I owed,I could catch them speaking Japanese with tongue-twisted.

I find those dangerous Yakuza gangsters talking with R sound very sexy and manly.

Supervin · 6 Sep 2006

Kyoko_desu said:
When we noticed that the Phillipino trainees trill their R's when speaking Tagalog or English, we tried to learn to produce that sound and about 80-90% of us could. That's how I figured out this percentage.

I'm aware of the Filipino trilled 'r' sound in their Tagalog/English speech as I've heard quite a bit before.

However, is this the same sound as the Japanese trilled 'r' phonetically? Like, is it exactly the same place where you make the trill sound?

J44xm · 10 Sep 2006

ricecake said:
I find those dangerous Yakuza gangsters talking with R sound very sexy and manly.

Rrrrrreally? (Ahem.)
I find this sound tough to make. Back when I was studying Spanish in high school, I couldn't do it either. Sigh ... I'm just too much of a nice guy, I guess.

Saikou_Kun · 17 Sep 2006

Nysha said:
☝
I'm Spanish and I cannot seem to get rid of the "R sound" when talking in Japanese... it doesn't happen with all the words, just with some of them ...
I don't really like the idea of sounding like a yakuza.... oh well, I guess I have to work on it. should be fun.

LOL, ore mo so iu koto ga aru, sore ga warui ?

Japanese Profanity and the Trilled R Sound

nhk9

先輩

epigene

相変わらず不束者です

pipokun

先輩

yamada

先輩

JimmySeal

Tubthumper

epigene

相変わらず不束者です

Nysha

後輩

Kyoko_desu

先輩

ricecake

先輩

Supervin

先輩

J44xm

経験値が足りない

Saikou_Kun

後輩

Similar threads