言ごん語ご道どう断だん

ご

ん

ご

ど

う

だ

ん

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

na-adjective, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no', noun

outrageous; preposterous; scandalous; inexcusable

yojijukugo (four-character idiom)

A strong yojijukugo used to condemn something as utterly unacceptable, beyond words, or morally outrageous. Often used in formal or written contexts to express strong disapproval.

彼かれの行こう動どうは言ごん語ご道どう断だんだ。
His behavior is absolutely outrageous.
そんな言いい訳わけは言ごん語ご道どう断だんだ。
Such an excuse is utterly inexcusable.

Kanji

言say, word
語word, speech, language
道road-way, street, district
断severance, decline, refuse
同same, agree, equal

Related words

論ろん外がい
言語道断 is a stronger, more formal four-character idiom for something so outrageous it's beyond words, while 論外 simply marks something as not worth discussing.
もってのほかN1
言語道断 is a stronger, more literary four-character idiom meaning 'utterly unspeakable', often used in formal writing, whereas 以ての外 is slightly less extreme but still formal.

Written forms

言ごん語ご道どう断だん
Standard kanji form; the most common spelling in modern Japanese.
言ごん語ご同どう断だん
irregular kanji usage
Irregular kanji variant using 同 instead of 道; occasionally encountered but non-standard.

Etymology

A yojijukugo of Chinese origin, literally 'words cut off', meaning something so outrageous that one is left speechless. The kanji 道断 (or 同断) suggests a break or severance of discourse.