ゴミ
Meaning: Trash, garbage, or worthless — a harsh insult declaring something (or someone) has absolutely no value.
ゴミ literally means garbage/rubbish, and as slang it retains that full force. Calling something ゴミ means it is completely worthless and beyond redemption. It is used for terrible products, awful experiences, and — when directed at people — is one of the more cutting insults available. While common in gaming and internet culture, using it about a person is genuinely offensive.
Examples
- あのアプリ、アプデしたらゴミみたいに重くなった。 那个APP更新之后卡得跟垃圾一样。Esa app, después de actualizarla, se volvió lenta como una basura.그 앱, 업데이트하고 나서 쓰레기처럼 느려졌어.
- ゴミみたいな対応されてマジで腹立った。 被当垃圾一样对待,真的气死了。Me trataron como basura y me cabreé muchísimo.쓰레기 같은 대응 당해서 진짜 열받았어.
- このゲームバランスゴミすぎない? 这游戏的平衡性也太垃圾了吧?¿El equilibrio de este juego no es una auténtica basura?이 게임 밸런스 쓰레기 아냐?
Pronunciation
/go.mi/
Usage Guide
Context: gaming, internet, friends, social media
Tone: contemptuous, harsh
✓ Do Say
- この品質でこの値段?ゴミじゃん。 (This quality at this price? It's garbage.)这种品质卖这个价?垃圾吧。(This quality at this price? It's garbage.)¿Esta calidad a este precio? Es basura. (This quality at this price? It's garbage.)この品質でこの値段?ゴミじゃん。 (이 퀄리티에 이 가격? 쓰레기네.)
- ゴミみたいなUIで使う気なくす。 (The trash UI kills any motivation to use it.)垃圾一样的界面,完全不想用。(The trash UI kills any motivation to use it.)La interfaz es tan mala que quita las ganas de usarlo. (The trash UI kills any motivation to use it.)ゴミみたいなUIで使う気なくす。 (쓰레기 같은 UI 때문에 쓸 의욕이 사라져.)
✗ Don't Say
- 人に対して「ゴミ」は非常に侮辱的 — 友達間でも冗談として通じない場合がある (Calling a person 'gomi' is extremely insulting — it may not pass as a joke even among friends)对人说'ゴミ'是极其侮辱性的——即使在朋友之间也不一定能当玩笑过关Llamar «gomi» a una persona es extremadamente insultante — puede que ni siquiera pase por broma entre amigos (Calling a person 'gomi' is extremely insulting — it may not pass as a joke even among friends)人に対して「ゴミ」は非常に侮辱的 — 友達間でも冗談として通じない場合がある (사람한테 'ゴミ'라고 하는 건 매우 모욕적이다 — 친구 사이에서도 농담으로 안 통할 수 있다)
Common Mistakes
- Underestimating how harsh ゴミ is when directed at people — it is genuinely dehumanising
- Using ゴミ in any setting where you want to maintain a relationship with the listener
Origin & History
From the standard Japanese word ゴミ/塵 (gomi, garbage/rubbish). The slang use as a harsh insult for worthless things or people became widespread through internet and gaming communities in the 2000s–2010s.
Cultural Context
Era: 2000s onward as internet/gaming insult
Generation: All ages (harsher register among younger speakers)
Social background: Universal informal/vulgar
Regional notes: Used nationwide. Especially prevalent in gaming communities and online discourse.
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