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ぼんくら Japanese meaning | Kotomora

ぼんくら

ぼ

ん

く

ら

Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

na-adjective, noun

stupid; dull-witted; thickheaded

usually written using kana alone

Describes a person or their thinking as slow, dim, or lacking sharpness. Often used in casual, mildly derogatory speech.

あいつはぼんくらだから、説せつ明めいしても無む駄だだ。
He's so thickheaded that explaining it to him is pointless.
ぼんくらな部ぶ下かに手て

Written forms

ぼんくらUsage47%
Usually written in kana; the kanji form 盆暗 is rare and may not be widely recognized.
ボンクラUsage53%
kana-only spelling
Katakana variant, often used for emphasis or in casual contexts.
盆ぼん暗くら
Kanji form; rarely used and may be unfamiliar to many readers.

Kanji

盆

を

焼や

い

て

いる

。

I'm having trouble with my dim-witted subordinate.

2

noun

blockhead; idiot; dimwit

usually written using kana alone

Refers to a person who is habitually stupid or slow on the uptake. Used as a mild insult.

そんな簡かん単たんなこともわからないなんて、お前まえはぼんくらだな。
You don't even understand something that simple? You're such a dimwit.

basin, lantern festival, tray

暗darkness, disappear, shade

Similar words

馬ば鹿か
馬鹿 is a more common and versatile insult meaning 'fool' or 'idiot', while ぼんくら specifically emphasizes slow-wittedness or dullness.
間ま抜ぬけ
間抜け also means 'fool' or 'blockhead', but often implies a lack of common sense or awareness, whereas ぼんくら focuses on intellectual slowness.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. It may be a compound of 盆 (ぼん, tray or Bon festival) and 暗 (くら, dark), but the connection to the meaning is unclear. The word is likely a colloquialism from the Edo period.