十八番(おはこ)

おはこ
noun
one's specialty, forte, go-to
culturedescriptive
1. one's specialty, forte, go-to
Something a person is especially good at or known for, often a signature skill, dish, song, or trick.
カレーは母(はは)の十八番(おはこ)だ。
Curry is my mother's specialty.
カラオケでの十八番(おはこ)は何(なん)ですか。
What's your go-to song at karaoke?
遅刻(ちこく)の言(い)い訳(わけ)は彼(かれ)の十八番(おはこ)で、毎回(まいかい)違(ちが)う理由(りゆう)を考(かんが)えてくる。
Making excuses for being late is his specialty — he comes up with a different reason every time.

Pronunciation

The reading おはこ is irregular. The kanji 十八番(じゅうはちばん) can also be read じゅうはちばん, which is used more formally or in kabuki contexts.

Etymology

From kabuki theater. The Ichikawa family stored their eighteen best plays in a special box (箱(はこ)), and these came to be called 十八番(おはこ). The お is an honorific prefix.

Usage

Used casually to refer to someone's best skill, go-to karaoke song, signature dish, or any recurring behavior (sometimes humorous). The pattern ～は十八番(おはこ)だ is standard.

Related Words

Synonym: 得意(とくい) (good at, strong point)
general
Added 2026.2.11 21:59 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
10500/10919_ohako