あかん
Japanese
Etymology
A contraction from the idiom 埒が明かぬ (rachi ga akanu, “not get up to speed, not get off the ground”, literally “the fence doesn't open”). akanu is an archaic negative form of the verb 明く (aku, “to open, to open up”).[1][2]
Pronunciation
- Lua error in Module:parameters at line 331: Parameter 1 should be a valid language or etymology language code; the value "Kyoto" is not valid. See WT:LOL and WT:LOL/E. あかん (Heiban – [0])
Verb
- Negative form of あく (aku)
- (Kansai) to make little progress; a waste of time
- (Kansai) something that is not good, something that is forbidden
- 酒はあかん
- sake wa akan
- alcohol is forbidden
- 1984, “(deprecated template usage) 道頓堀人情”, 若山かほる (lyrics), performed by (deprecated template usage) 鏡五郎:
- 負けたらあかん
- maketara akan
- you must not give in
- 負けたらあかん
- 酒はあかん
Synonyms
- いけない (ikenai): "doesn't go, cannot go" → inappropriate
- ならない (naranai): "doesn't become" → unbecoming, inappropriate
- 駄目 (dame): no good, bad, stop, don't