音痴(おんち)

おんち
noun
tone-deaf; having no sense of ~
informalleisuredescriptive
1. tone-deaf; unable to sing in tune
A person who cannot distinguish or reproduce musical pitch accurately. Composed of 音 (sound, tone) + 痴 (foolish, lacking sense). The original and most common meaning.
私(わたし)は音痴(おんち)だからカラオケが苦手(にがて)だ。
I'm tone-deaf, so I'm not good at karaoke.
音痴(おんち)でも楽(たの)しめるカラオケの曲(きょく)はある。
There are karaoke songs that even tone-deaf people can enjoy.
歌(うた)が上手(じょうず)な人(ひと)の隣(となり)で歌(うた)うと、自分(じぶん)の音痴(おんち)が余計(よけい)に目立(めだ)つ。
When I sing next to someone who sings well, my tone-deafness stands out even more.
2. having no sense of ~; being hopeless at ~
Used with a prefix to indicate a lack of ability or awareness in a particular area. A productive suffix pattern in modern Japanese, applied to directions, machines, fashion, and other domains.
彼(かれ)は方向(ほうこう)音痴(おんち)だ。
He has no sense of direction.
機械(きかい)音痴(おんち)でスマホの設定(せってい)ができない。
I'm hopeless with technology and can't figure out my phone's settings.
運動(うんどう)音痴(おんち)の私(わたし)でも楽(たの)しめるスポーツを探(さが)している。
I'm looking for a sport that even someone as unathletic as me can enjoy.

Usage

The suffix pattern ～音痴(おんち) is very productive in casual Japanese. Common combinations include:

  • 方向(ほうこう)音痴(おんち) (no sense of direction — the most common extended use)
  • 機械(きかい)音痴(おんち) (hopeless with machines/technology)
  • 運動(うんどう)音痴(おんち) (unathletic, having no coordination)
  • 味(あじ)音痴(おんち) (having no sense of taste)

Note that while 音痴(おんち) can be used about oneself self-deprecatingly, calling someone else 音痴(おんち) directly can be rude.

general
Added 2026.3.10 15:07 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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