ドラ息子むすこ

ど

ら

む

す

こ

Common word

Meanings

noun

lazy son; profligate son; good-for-nothing son

A derogatory term for a son who is idle, irresponsible, or a drain on the family. Often carries a nuance of disappointment or exasperation.

Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉〉をドラ息子むすこと呼よぶto call someone a good-for-nothing son
近きん所じょの人ひとは彼かれをドラ息子むすこと呼よんでいた。
The neighbors called him a good-for-nothing son.
ドラ息子むすこが親おやのすねをかじるfor a good-for-nothing son to sponge off his parents
あのドラ息子むすこはいつまでも親おやのすねをかじっている。
That good-for-nothing son keeps sponging off his parents.

Kanji

息breath, respiration, son
子child, sign of the rat, 11PM-1AM

Related words

道どう楽らく息子むすこ
道楽息子 stresses a son who indulges in pleasure and dissipation, while ドラ息子 focuses on laziness and being a burden on the family.
放ほう蕩とう息子むすこ
放蕩息子 is a more formal, literary term for a prodigal son, whereas ドラ息子 is colloquial and carries an exasperated tone.

Counted with

人にん
counter for people

Built from

ドラ+息子むすこ

Written forms

ドラ息子むすこUsage65%
Standard spelling with katakana ドラ; the most common written form.
どら息子むすこUsage24%
Hiragana variant; less common but still encountered.
どらむすこUsage12%

Etymology

The prefix ドラ is an abbreviation of 道楽 (どうらく, 'dissipation, hobby'), implying a son who is a 'hobby' or 'indulgence' rather than a responsible person. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is well-established in colloquial Japanese.