へなちょこ

へ

な

ちょ

こ

Meanings

noun

novice; greenhorn; worthless person

usually written using kana alonederogatory

Derogatory term for an inexperienced, incompetent, or worthless person. Often used in casual, dismissive contexts.

あいつはまだへなちょこだから、大だい事じな仕し事ごとは任まかせられない。
He's still a greenhorn, so I can't trust him with important work.
へなちょこ扱あつかいされて腹はらが立たった。
I got angry at being treated like a worthless nobody.

Kanji

猪boar
口mouth
埴clay

Related words

初しょ心しん者しゃ
初心者 is a neutral term for a beginner, while へなちょこ is derogatory and implies incompetence or worthlessness.
青あお二に才さい
青二才 also means an inexperienced youth, but is less harsh and often used for young people who are still learning.

Written forms

へなちょこUsage82%
Standard kana spelling; usually written in kana.
ヘナチョコUsage18%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling, sometimes used for emphasis or in informal writing.
へな猪ちょ口こ
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; the word is usually written in kana.
埴猪口へなちょこ
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; the word is usually written in kana.

Etymology

The origin is uncertain. It may be related to へな (a prefix suggesting weakness or poor quality) and ちょこ (possibly from 猪口, a small sake cup, implying smallness or insignificance), but this is speculative.