バツニ

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(こせき)) after a divorce. 二(に) 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(ひと): a twice-divorced person
• バツニ同士(どうし): a couple where both have been divorced twice

Related words

• 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(どくしん): single, unmarried
• 離婚(りこん): divorce (the formal term)
• 再婚(さいこん): remarriage

Usage

• More polite alternatives include 二度(にど)離婚(りこん)した人(ひと) ("a person who has been divorced twice") or 再々婚(さいさいこん)予定(よてい) ("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.