エッチ

also: えっち · エイチ

エ

ッ

チ

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

noun

H; h

The letter H itself, as in the alphabet.

アルファベットのエッチは８番ばん目めの文も字じです。
The letter H is the eighth letter of the alphabet.

na-adjective, noun

indecent; lewd; sexy

; dirty

; obscene

usually written using kana alone

Only with reading エッチ / えっち

Slang derived from the initial of 変態 (hentai). Describes something sexually suggestive or naughty. Usually written in kana.

Written forms

エッチUsage56%
Standard katakana spelling for the letter H and the derived slang senses. The most common written form.
ＨUsage40%
- エッチ
  Full-width capital H; used for the letter itself, abbreviations, and symbols.
- エイチ
えっちUsage4%
irregular kana usage
Hiragana spelling used for the slang senses; less common than katakana but still encountered.
ｈえっち
Full-width lowercase h; rarely used, mostly for the letter itself.
エイチ
Alternate pronunciation for the letter H, used in some contexts like spelling out words.

Similar words

変へん態たい
変態 is the original word meaning 'pervert' or 'abnormality'. エッチ is a euphemistic slang derived from its initial, and is much milder and more commonly used in casual conversation.
セックス
セックス is a direct loanword for 'sex', while エッチ is a softer, more colloquial euphemism often used in informal contexts.

Etymology

Sense 1 is simply the letter H. Senses 2–4 derive from the initial of 変態 (hentai, 'pervert'), used as euphemistic slang. Sense 5 abbreviates 平成 (Heisei). Sense 6 abbreviates 'hour'. Sense 7 is the chemical symbol. Sense 8 is from English 'hole'.