ちんぷんかんぷん

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Common wordJLPTN1Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

noun, na-adjective

gibberish; nonsense; incomprehensible talk

usually written using kana alone

Describes speech or writing that is completely unintelligible, like a foreign language or technical jargon one cannot understand. Often used in the phrase ちんぷんかんぷんだ.

彼かれの説せつ明めいはちんぷんかんぷんで、何なにを言いっているのかさっぱりわからなかった。
His explanation was complete gibberish; I had no idea what he was talking about.
専せん門もん用よう語ごが多おおすぎて、私わたしにはちんぷんかんぷんだ。
There's too much jargon; it's all Greek to me.

See all 13 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉がちんぷんかんぷんだsomething is complete gibberish/incomprehensible
彼かれの説せつ明めいはちんぷんかんぷんだった。
His explanation was complete gibberish to me.
〈事こと〉がちんぷんかんぷんになるsomething becomes incomprehensible
専せん門もん用よう語ごが多おおくて話はなしがちんぷんかんぷんになった。
There were so many technical terms that the conversation became incomprehensible.
〈人ひと〉にはちんぷんかんぷんだsomething is gibberish to a particular person
この数すう学がくの問もん題だいは私わたしにはちんぷんかんぷんだ。
This math problem is total gibberish to me.

Kanji

珍rare, curious, strange
紛distract, be mistaken for, go astray
漢Sino-, China
糞shit, feces, excrement

Related words

でたらめN3
でたらめ describes something random, made-up, or irresponsible, while ちんぷんかんぷん focuses specifically on the listener's total inability to understand it.
意い味み不ふ明めい
意味不明 is a neutral, formal way to say something's meaning is unclear, whereas ちんぷんかんぷん is a colloquial, vivid expression for complete incomprehension.
難なん解かいN1
難解 describes something intellectually difficult to grasp because of its complexity, while ちんぷんかんぷん stresses that it sounds like meaningless noise to the listener.
禅ぜん問もん答どう
ちんぷんかんぷん is a casual expression for something totally incomprehensible, while 禅問答 keeps a Zen-riddle flavor even when used figuratively for baffling talk.

Opposites

明めい快かいN1
明快 describes an explanation that is clear and easy to follow, the opposite of ちんぷんかんぷん, which is completely incomprehensible.

Written forms

ちんぷんかんぷんUsage46%
Standard kana spelling; the word is usually written in kana.
チンプンカンプンUsage52%
kana-only spelling
Katakana spelling, often used for emphasis or in informal writing.
珍ちん紛ぷん漢かん紛ぷんUsage1%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)rarely-used kanji form
Ateji kanji form; rarely used.
珍ちん糞ぷん漢かん糞ぷんUsage1%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)rarely-used kanji form
Ateji kanji form; rarely used.

Etymology

The exact origin is uncertain, but it is likely a mimetic word imitating the sound of incomprehensible speech, possibly influenced by Chinese-sounding syllables.