ガチンコ

がちんこ
noun
for real; serious fight; no-holds-barred
informalsportsculture
1. serious match; genuine contest; real fight
A match or contest fought with full effort and no pre-arrangement, originally from sumo wrestling.
あの試合(しあい)ガチンコだった。
That match was for real.
Let's settle it with a serious contest.
八百長(やおちょう)なしガチンコ取組(とりくみ)()たい
I want to see a genuine match with no fixing.
2. for real; serious; genuine; all-out
Used more broadly to describe any situation or effort that is completely serious and genuine, without pretense.
This time I'm doing it for real.
ガチンコ練習(れんしゅう)してきた。
I've been practicing seriously.
When I had a serious debate with him, it took three hours.

Originates from sumo wrestling, where it describes a bout fought with genuine effort rather than being fixed (八百長(やおちょう)). The name is said to come from the sound of wrestlers' heads clashing (ガチン). In modern slang, it has expanded far beyond sumo to mean anything done seriously and for real. Often shortened to ガチ in casual speech.

Common collocations

Related words

  • ガチ: abbreviation of ガチンコ — very common in casual speech and slang
  • 八百長(やおちょう): match-fixing — the opposite concept
  • 本気(ほんき): serious, for real — the standard non-slang equivalent
  • 真剣(しんけん): earnest, serious — more formal