宅男

Mandarin

Pronunciation

• IPA: [ tʂai˧˥nan˧˥ ]

Etymology

• 宅: borrowed from the Japanese 御宅 (お宅, オタク, おたく, otaku) + 男 man

Noun

宅男 (traditional and simplified, Pinyin zháinán)

1. (slang) a (male) nerd or homebody

Usage notes

• zháinán is a relatively recent addition to Mandarin. The original intended meaning reflected the derrogatory nature of the original Japanese word. However, many men have begun to use zháinán in a self-deprecating or slightly humorous way when referring to themselves.

Related terms

• 宅女 (zháinǚ) a (female) nerd or homebody
• 御宅族 (yùzháizú) otaku

References

• 宅男 on the Mandarin Wikipedia.zh.Wikipedia