オタク
おたく
noun
otaku; geek; obsessive enthusiast
1.
otaku; geek; obsessive fan or enthusiast
A person with deep, passionate knowledge of a particular subject, especially anime, manga, video games, or other aspects of pop culture. Originally derogatory, the term has become more neutral or even positive in recent years, particularly among younger generations.
彼はアニメオタクだ。
He's an anime otaku.
鉄道オタクが全国の駅を巡っている。
Train otaku travel around visiting stations across the country.
最近はオタクという言葉にネガティブな意味はあまりなくなった。
Recently, the word otaku has largely lost its negative connotation.
USAGE:
オタク originally carried a strongly negative connotation of social awkwardness and unhealthy obsession. Since the 2000s, the term has been reclaimed and is now often used positively or neutrally, especially by younger people who proudly identify as オタク.
COMMON COMPOUNDS:
- アニメオタク (anime fan)
- ゲームオタク (gaming enthusiast)
- 鉄道オタク / 鉄オタ (train enthusiast)
- 歴史オタク (history buff)
ORIGIN:
The word comes from お宅 (your house), which was used as a distancing second-person pronoun among enthusiasts in the 1970s-80s. The columnist 中森明夫 popularized the label in 1983.
RELATED WORDS:
- オタ (shortened form, casual)
- マニア (mania — enthusiast, slightly more formal)
- 推し (one's favorite idol or character — related fandom term)