バツニ
ばつに
noun
divorced twice (slang)
1.
having been divorced twice (slang)
Colloquial term meaning that someone has been divorced two times. Formed from バツ (the X mark for "wrong") and 二 ("two"). The metaphor comes from the X marks once placed on a person's family register entry when they were removed after a divorce. Part of the series バツイチ (divorced once), バツニ (twice), バツサン (three times).
彼女はバツニだ。
She has been divorced twice.
バツニでも気にしない人は多い。
Many people don't mind that someone has been divorced twice.
彼はバツニだが、今の奥さんとは幸せに暮らしている。
He's been divorced twice, but he's living happily with his current wife.
バツニになっても再び結婚しようと思う人もいる。
Some people still want to marry again even after two divorces.
バツニ is informal slang and would not appear in formal speech, news writing, or legal documents. It is most often heard in casual conversation, on TV variety shows, in tabloids, and in dating contexts (matchmaking, dating apps).
ETYMOLOGY:
The バツ ("X") refers to the historical practice of striking out a name on the family register (戸籍) after a divorce. 二 simply means "two," indicating two such marks.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- バツニになる: to become divorced for the second time
- バツニの人: a twice-divorced person
- バツニ同士: a couple where both have been divorced twice
RELATED TERMS:
- バツイチ: divorced once (the most common term in this series)
- バツサン: divorced three times (less commonly heard)
- 独身: single, unmarried
- 離婚: divorce (the formal term)
- 再婚: remarriage
USAGE NOTES:
- More polite alternatives include 二度離婚した人 ("a person who has been divorced twice") or 再々婚予定 ("planning to marry for a third time").
- Avoid using バツニ to describe someone in their presence unless you know they are comfortable with the term — though playful, it can sound dismissive.