ちんぷんかん

also: ちんぶんかん

ち

ん

ぷ

ん

か

ん

Meanings

1

noun

usually written using kana alone

Refers to speech or writing that is incomprehensible, often used in the phrase ちんぷんかんぷん for emphasis.

っ

て

いる

の

か

さっぱり

わから

なかっ

た

。

His explanation was gibberish; I had no idea what he was talking about.

専せん門もん用よう語ごばかりで、私わたしにはちんぷんかんぷんだ。

It's all technical jargon; it's complete gobbledygook to me.

ちんぷんかんUsage100%
Usually written in kana; the kanji forms are ateji and rarely used.
ちんぶんかん
Alternate reading with voicing; less common than ちんぷんかん.
珍紛漢
- ちんぷんかん
  Ateji spelling; rarely encountered in modern writing.
- ちんぶんかん
珍糞漢
- ちんぷんかん
  Ateji spelling; rarely encountered in modern writing.

The origin is uncertain; it may be a mimetic word imitating the sound of incomprehensible speech. The kanji forms are ateji.

ちんぶんかん

陳奮翰