何食わぬ顔

• 読み: なにくわぬかお
• ローマ字: nanikuwanukao
• 漢字の分解: 何 (nani) — what; 食 (ku) — to eat; 顔 (kao) — face
• 発音: /na.ni.kɯ.wa.nɯ.ka.o/

意味

A feigned expression of innocence; a nonchalant face that conceals guilt or knowledge. Used when someone acts as if nothing has happened despite knowing otherwise.

A noun phrase literally meaning 'a face as if having eaten nothing suspicious.' Most often appears in the adverbial pattern 何食わぬ顔で (with a nonchalant air), indicating that a person acts perfectly innocent while concealing involvement or knowledge. Used in contexts of deception, mischief, or deliberate nonchalance.

例文

1. 犯人は現場から立ち去り、何食わぬ顔で家族と夕食を取った。
2. 彼女は秘密を知っているくせに、何食わぬ顔で私に話しかけてきた。
3. 遅刻した社員は何食わぬ顔で席に着き、誰も気づかないふりをした。

使い方ガイド

場面: everyday speech, storytelling, crime narratives

トーン: ironic

起源と歴史

From 何 (nani, what) + 食わぬ (negative of 食う, to eat) + 顔 (face). The image is of someone whose face betrays no sign of having 'eaten' (consumed/done) anything questionable.

文化的背景

時代: Pre-modern–Modern

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal