Usage patterns 〈 人ひと 〉 をアホにする to make a fool of someone
He was made a fool of in front of everyone.
アホなことを 言い う to say something stupid
He said something stupid again.
アホ 扱あつか いする to treat someone as a fool
She always treats me like an idiot.
Expressions 阿あ 呆ほう の 三さん 杯ばい 汁じる only a fool asks for more than one extra helping; only fools are gluttons 阿あ 呆ほう の 話はなし 食ぐ い an idiot will swallow anything; an idiot will believe anything they hear; fools act without thinking 踊おど る 阿あ 呆ほう に 見み る 阿あ 呆ほう you're a fool if you dance, and a fool if you just look on; we're all fools, so let's dance Kanji 阿 Africa, flatter, fawn upon 呆 be amazed, disgusted, shocked Related words· 9 馬鹿 is the standard Japanese word for fool used nationwide, while アホ is the Kansai-dialect equivalent that can sound softer or more playful depending on tone.
間抜け emphasizes careless, absent-minded blundering, whereas アホ more broadly labels someone as foolish or stupid.
とんま is an old-fashioned, mildly comic word for a dimwit, while アホ is the everyday Kansai term with a wider range of tone from teasing to insulting.
パー is a soft slangy label for foolishness, whereas アホ (especially in Kansai speech) is a blunter, more common insult for stupidity.
Show 5 more Show fewer 阿呆 is another everyday term for 'fool' still used in modern speech, unlike the obsolete 温 .
阿呆 is a colloquial word for a fool (especially common in Kansai speech), whereas 虚仮 is a rarer, more literary term for foolishness.
阿呆 is a colloquial, often teasing term for a fool, whereas 白痴 is a harsh insult derived from an outdated medical label.
阿呆 is a milder, more casual insult for a fool than 痴呆 , which carries a stronger, clinical-sounding sting.
阿呆 is a casual, often regional (Kansai) insult meaning 'fool,' while 愚か is neutral and more literary in tone.
Word family ridiculous; absurd; foolish
total idiot; complete fool
stupid chatter; foolish talk
fool; idiot
fool; oaf; airhead · mock Buddhist sutra; humorous sutra-style singing
Written forms アホ Usage 55%
kana-only spelling
Common katakana spelling, especially in Kansai dialect and casual writing.
あほ Usage 15%
Common hiragana spelling.
阿呆 Usage 14% i Usage for this spelling across all readings, not one reading alone.
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)
アホウ Usage 10%
阿房 Usage 4% i Usage for this spelling across all readings, not one reading alone.
ateji (phonetic kanji usage) rarely-used kanji form
あほう Usage 2%
Older or more emphatic pronunciation variant; less common in modern casual speech.
Etymology The exact origin is uncertain. The kanji 阿呆 and 阿房 are ateji (phonetic assignments) and do not reflect the word's derivation. It is a long-established colloquialism in the Kansai region.
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