スケバン

ス

ケ

バ

ン

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun

leader of a female gang; head of a group of delinquent girls

slangusually written using kana alone

Slang term from the 1970s–80s Japanese subculture, referring to the boss of a sukeban girl gang. Often associated with a specific fashion and attitude.

あのグループのスケバンは、いつも長ながいスカートをはいている。
The leader of that girl gang always wears a long skirt.
彼かの女じょは中ちゅう学がくのとき、スケバンとして有ゆう名めいだったらしい。
Apparently she was famous as a sukeban in junior high school.

See all 3 example sentences ›

Kanji

番turn, number in a series
助help, rescue, assist

Related words

番ばん長ちょう
Refers to a male gang leader, typically in a school context. スケバン is specifically female.
ヤンキー
A broader term for delinquent youth, both male and female, often associated with a later era and different style.

Written forms

スケバンUsage83%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling is the most common written form for this slang term.
スケ番ばんUsage17%
Kanji-kana mixed spelling; less common than pure katakana.
助すけ番ばん
Ateji kanji spelling; rarely used.
すけばん
スケばん

Etymology

The term combines スケ (suke, a slang term for woman/girl) and 番 (ban, meaning 'boss' or 'leader'). The exact origin of スケ is uncertain, but it may derive from 助 (suke), a common suffix in male names, repurposed as slang for women.