阿呆(あほう)

あほう
noun, adjective-na
fool; idiot; stupid
1. fool; idiot; stupid
a foolish or stupid person; stupidity; used as an insult or playful tease
あんな阿呆(あほう)な話(はなし)はない。
There's no story as stupid as that.
阿呆(あほう)なことを言(い)うな。
Don't say stupid things.
彼(かれ)は阿呆(あほう)みたいに笑(わら)っていた。
He was laughing like a fool.
そんなことも知(し)らないのか、この阿呆(あほう)。
You don't even know that? You fool.

Often shortened to アホ or あほ in casual speech, especially in the Kansai dialect. In western Japan (Kansai), あほ is the standard insult equivalent to 馬鹿(ばか) in eastern Japan (Kanto). In Kansai, あほ can be affectionate or teasing, while 馬鹿(ばか) sounds harsher. This relationship is reversed in Kanto.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 阿呆(あほう)らしい: absurd, ridiculous
  • 阿呆(あほう)な真似(まね): foolish behavior
  • 阿呆(あほう)面(づら): stupid face
  • 大(おお)阿呆(あほう): big fool

REGISTER:
Informal. Can range from harshly insulting to affectionately teasing depending on context, tone, and regional dialect. The abbreviated form アホ is more casual.

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 馬鹿(ばか): fool, idiot — the standard equivalent in eastern Japan; harsher in Kansai
  • 間抜(まぬ)け: dunce, blockhead — emphasizes cluelessness or poor timing
general
Added 2026.4.4 4:21
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