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口答え (くちごたえ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

口くち答ごたえ

く

ち

ご

た

え

Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

noun, noun or participle which takes 'suru', intransitive verb

talking back; retort; backtalk

Refers to answering back defiantly or rudely, especially to a superior or elder. Often used in negative contexts or as something to be scolded for.

子こ供どもが親おやに口くち答ごたえをするなんて、許ゆるせない。
I can't forgive a child talking back to their parents.
彼かれは上じょう司

し

に

口くち

答ごた

え

し

て

、

怒おこ

ら

れ

た

。

He talked back to his boss and got scolded.

Written forms

口くち答ごたえUsage79%
Standard kanji spelling; the most common written form.
口くちごたえUsage17%
Mixed kanji-kana spelling, often used when the kanji 答 is considered difficult or to soften the visual impression.
口くち応ごたえUsage4%
irregular kanji usage
Irregular kanji usage; 応 is not standard for this word and may be considered a mistake or non-standard variant.

Kanji

口mouth
答solution, answer
応apply, answer, yes

Similar words

言いい返かえす
言い返す is a more general verb for 'to talk back' or 'to retort', while 口答え specifically implies a defiant or disrespectful tone, often from a subordinate to a superior.
反はん論ろん
反論 is a formal 'objection' or 'counterargument', used in debates or logical discussions, whereas 口答え is an emotional, often childish, backtalk.

Etymology

Compound of 口 (kuchi, 'mouth') and 答え (kotae, 'answer'), with rendaku voicing on the second element. Literally 'mouth-answer', the word has long carried a negative connotation of answering back impertinently.