もうダメ
Significado: It's over / I'm done — a dramatic declaration of giving up or being overwhelmed, used both in genuine despair and humorous exaggeration.
もうダメ combines もう (already / no more) with ダメ (no good / hopeless) to create a succinct cry of defeat. While it can express genuine distress, it is far more commonly deployed as theatrical hyperbole — complaining about Monday mornings, a difficult game level, or an overwhelming workload. The phrase has become a staple of internet culture where performative suffering is a form of bonding. Its versatility ranges from a whispered admission of exhaustion to a shouted punchline.
Ejemplos
- もうダメ、今日3回もミスった。帰りたい。 完了,今天犯了三次错。好想回家。No puedo más, hoy he metido la pata tres veces. Quiero irme a casa.
- この暑さもうダメ、溶ける。 这热死了不行了,要融化了。Con este calor no puedo más, me derrito.
- もうダメwww お腹痛いくらい笑ったwww 不行了www笑到肚子疼wwwNo puedo más jajaja, me he reído hasta que me ha dolido la tripa jajaja.
Pronunciación
/moː.da.me/
Guía de uso
Contexto: friends, social media, workplace banter, self-deprecating humour
Tono: dramatic, defeated, often humorous
✓ Correcto
- もうダメ、徹夜3日目で頭回らない。 (I'm done, this is my third all-nighter and my brain has stopped working.)不行了,连续熬了三个通宵脑子已经转不动了。(我完了,第三个通宵了脑子已经不转了。)No puedo más, es mi tercera noche sin dormir y mi cerebro ha dejado de funcionar. (I'm done, this is my third all-nighter and my brain has stopped working.)
- あのシーンでもうダメだった、号泣した。 (I lost it at that scene, I was bawling.)看到那个场景就不行了,哭得稀里哗啦的。(那个场景我直接崩了,哭得不行。)En esa escena ya no pude más, me puse a llorar a mares. (I lost it at that scene, I was bawling.)
✗ Incorrecto
- 本当に深刻な状況の人に軽いノリで「もうダメ」は失礼 (Using 'mou dame' flippantly around someone in genuinely serious trouble is insensitive)在真正处于严重困境的人面前用轻松的语气说「もうダメ」是不尊重的(在真正处于严重困境的人身边随意说'不行了'是不尊重的)Usar 'mou dame' a la ligera delante de alguien con problemas realmente graves es una falta de sensibilidad
Errores comunes
- Taking it literally every time — most uses are hyperbolic and the speaker is not actually giving up
- Missing the humorous tone in text when no emoji or www accompanies it
Origen e historia
A natural Japanese phrase that has been in use for generations. もう (already/anymore) + ダメ (no good) is grammatically straightforward, but its dramatic, hyperbolic usage as a catchphrase intensified with internet and SNS culture in the 2010s.
Contexto cultural
Era: Long-standing phrase, internet catchphrase since 2010s
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. The katakana ダメ spelling adds emphasis compared to だめ or 駄目.
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