0 Comments

February 19, 2023

Origin of Japanese Words – キモイ Gross and Disgusting

This free lesson is just one of dozens of Japanese word origin stories available to Shogun or Lifetime Makoto+ members. Click here to become a member today.

キモイ gross; disgusting

Origin of the Word

「気持(きも)ち悪(わる)い」を略(りゃく)した言葉(ことば)です。「あなた（または誰(だれ)か）の外見(がいけん)、言葉遣(ことばづか)いなどが気持(きも)ち悪(わる)い」という意味(いみ)で使(つか)いますが、早(はや)く相手(あいて)にどこかへ行(い)ってほしい、目(め)の前(まえ)からいなくなれといった意味(いみ)を込(こ)めて使(つか)うことが多(おお)いです。誰(だれ)かから「キモイ」と言(い)われたら、すぐにその場(ば)を離(はな)れたほうがよさそうです。

Translation, Vocabulary, & Notes

This is a shortened form of 気持(きも)ち悪(わる)い. It is used when someone’s appearance or the way a person speaks seems creepy or gross to others. It is often used in situations where a person wants someone to go away quickly or a person intends to get rid of someone out of his or her sight. If someone says, “Kimoi!” around you, it would be better to leave the place right away.

語源(ごげん) etymology [語 (word); 源 (source)]

気持(きも)ち悪(わる)い creepy; gross [気持(きも)ち (feeling; mood); 悪(わる)い (bad; wrong; ill); it also means “to feel sick” or “to feel nauseous”]

略(りゃく)した言葉(ことば) simplified word; shortened word [略(りゃく)した from 略(りゃく)す (to shorten; to abbreviate; to contract; to omit); 言葉(ことば) (word); 略(ほぼ)された (was shortened; past passive) can be used here as in “略(りゃく)された言葉(ことば)” (a word that was shortened), but 略(ほぼ)した言葉(ことば) sounds more concise.]

あなた you (the reader)

または誰(だれ)か or someone else [または (or); 誰(だれ)か (someone; somebody; someone else; somebody else; か here means “some” to indicate an “unspecified” (person))]

外見(がいけん) outward appearance; looks [外 (out; outside); 見 (to see; to look at)]

言葉(ことば)遣(づか)い the way (one) speaks; (one’s) speaking manner [言葉(ことば) (word); 遣(づか)い (use; noun form of 遣(つか)う (to use; to utilize)); など (and so on; etc.); 言葉遣(ことばづか)い means usually “wording” or “choosing of words (appropriate or not appropriate)”, but here it also means “the mannerism of how one speaks” (話(はな)し方(かた) – the way one talks)]

という意味(いみ)で (is used) with the meaning that ~

という [“that” of “that- clause” which connects the preceding modifying sentence and the noun that sentence modifies]

意味(いみ)で with the meaning; with the intention that ~ [意味(いみ) (meaning); で (with; indicating mean); 意味(いみ) here really means “one’s intention” in this context. Note: “kimoi” doesn’t mean “to go away”, but it is spoken with the intention of making someone go away.]

使(つか)いますが is used and… [使(つか)います from 使(つか)う (to use); が (this が is not “but”, “however”, “although” or “even though”. It is almost used like “and” to connect a basic explanation sentence and further information which follows after that.)]

早(はや)くquickly; soon [adverbial form of 早(はや)い (fast; quick; soon; early); construction for i-adjective to adverb: replace the last い with く]

相手(あいて) a person who one is talking to [相手(あいて) can mean “one’s partner” or “one’s opponent” depending on the context]

どこかへ to somewhere (else) [どこか (somewhere); へ (to); どこかに also work here, but に is already used earlier in the same sentence, so it’s better not to repeat it.]

(相手(あいて)に) 行(い)ってほしい wants (相手(あいて)) to go [行(い)って te-form of 行(い)く (to go); ほしい (want); “… に~てほしい”is “to want … to do ~”]

目(め)の前(まえ)から from one’s eyes; from one’s sight [literally, “from the front of one’s eyes”; 目(め) (eye); の前(まえ) (front of); から (from)]

いなくなれ go disappear; go away [いなくなれ imperative form of いなくなる (to disappear; to go away; only used for people or animals, not used for inanimate things); いなく adverbial form of いない (not to be there; to not to exist); なる (to become)]

といった (意味(いみ)) (a meaning) such as ~ [といった is a variation of という which is a modifying connector to link a modifying word (or sentence) and a word that is modified. といった possibly is shortened from といったような which is translated as “(a meaning) such as ~”. といった has a nuance of giving an example for the noun the sentence is modifying, while という is a straight forward connector between a modifying sentence and a noun that is modified. The difference between the two is very subtle and という can be easily used here as well.]

意味(いみ)を込(こ)めて by intending the meaning that ~; with the meaning of ~ [te-form of 意味(いみ)を込(こ)める (to intend to mean ~; to include a meaning (of)); を込(こ)める (to include); te-form here is used to indicate a method or mean: “how” the word 「キモイ」 is used]

使(つか)うことが多(おお)いです it is often used when~

こと [nominalizing particle that makes a verb into a noun state as in “to do ~” or “doing ~”. こと sometimes acts just like a pronoun for 時(とき) (time; occasion) as in 使(つか)う時(とき)が多(おお)い depending on the context as in this case.]

多(おお)い many times; often

誰(だれ)かから from someone; by someone [誰(だれ)か (someone; somebody; か indicates “some” or “unspecified”); から (from; by)]

「キモイ」と言(い)われたら if (we; you; one) is told “Kimoi!” [と (quotation marker); 言(い)われ from 言(い)われる (to be told; to be said; passive of 言(い)う); たら (if; when); construction for conditional たら: conjugate a verb into simple past and add ら (言(い)われる → 言(い)われた → 言(い)われたら)]

すぐに quickly; right away [すぐ (with no に) can work here as well]

その場(ば) that place; that location [場(ば) (place; location); same as 場所(ばしょ) but 場(ば) sounds somewhat formal or literary. A very subtle difference.]

離(はな)れたほうがよさそうです it seems to be better to leave; it would be better to leave

離(はな)れた方(ほう)がよさ it’s better to leave [from 離(はな)れた方(ほう)がいい which is based on an idiom: ~した方がいい (it’s better to do ~), usually (but not always) the verb comes before 方 is in the past form as in 離(はな)れた (past of 離(はな)れる (to leave)); the past form is used when it is considered to be definitely the case according to some proven fact or common sense, but 離(はな)れる方(ほう)がいい is not wrong but has a very subtle difference in nuance; 方 (side; way) indicates one alternative out of other choices; いい (good; right) is conjugated into よさ to connect with following word: そう]

そう seemingly ~; looking ~ [suffix that comes after adjective stem or masu-stem verb. The one exception for そう is いい which needs to change into よさ to connect with it, therefore it is よさそう not いいそう]

If you are a Makoto+ or Patreon Shogun ($10 or more) supporter, please click here to see all our Japanese word origin stories.

Not yet a member? Please click here to learn more.

Sharing is caring!

Level up your Japanese!

For Total Beginners

Japanese for beginners - Beri-Beri Shoshinsha

This 15-book study guide + worksheets bundle is ON SALE. For just one-time payment only, you will get this bundle for a very low price plus you will get future contents for free (no additional charge).

Click Here Now

Easy to follow and understand

This bundle is perfect for absolute beginners. It's thorough without being wordy, giving you exactly enough information to understand the concepts without overloading you with information.

TheJapanShop.com Customer

Makoto+ Membership

You'll notice many TheJapanesePage.com lessons have bonus content for Makoto+ Members. Well, membership goes well beyond that. Members also get our monthly magazine for learners of Japanese (Beginners to Intermediates), weekly exclusive lessons, Podcast bonus content, and much more.

Click Here to Learn More