廃課金
Meaning: Spending insane, ruinous amounts of money on gacha game microtransactions — whale-level spending.
The 廃 prefix (ruin/waste) combined with 課金 creates a term for the most extreme form of game spending — think hundreds of thousands of yen per month chasing rare characters. It's used both as a self-deprecating flex and a genuine warning. The 廃課金者 (extreme spender) is a recognized archetype in Japanese gaming culture, sometimes admired for dedication, sometimes pitied for addiction.
Examples
- 廃課金してガチャ天井まで回したのに、結局推しキャラ出なかった。 重度氪金抽到保底了,结果还是没出推的角色。Me gasté una fortuna tirando del gacha hasta el límite de pity y al final el personaje que quería no salió.폐과금해서 가챠 천장까지 돌렸는데, 결국 최애 캐릭터가 안 나왔다.
- 廃課金勢の課金額見ると自分の課金がかわいく見える。 看了重度氪金玩家的消费金额,感觉自己的氪金量简直不值一提。Cuando veo lo que gastan los jugadores más extremos, lo mío parece una nimiedad.폐과금 유저의 과금 금액을 보면 내 과금이 귀엽게 보인다.
- 廃課金はもう趣味じゃなくて依存症だと思う。 重度氪金已经不是爱好了,我觉得那是成瘾。Gastar así de descontroladamente ya no es un hobby, es una adicción.폐과금은 이제 취미가 아니라 중독이라고 생각한다.
Pronunciation
/ha.i.ka.kiɴ/
Usage Guide
Context: gaming communities, social media, friends
Tone: self-deprecating, dramatic
✓ Do Say
- 先月廃課金しすぎて今月のカード請求やばい。 (I went too hard on spending last month and my credit card bill is terrifying.)上个月氪太狠了,这个月的信用卡账单吓死人。(上个月疯狂氪金,这个月的卡账单惨不忍睹。)El mes pasado me pasé tanto gastando en el juego que la factura de la tarjeta da miedo.지난달에 폐과금해서 이번 달 카드 청구서가 무섭다. (지난달 과금을 너무 많이 해서 이번 달 카드 청구서가 공포 수준이다.)
- 廃課金しないと人権ないゲームはクソゲーだと思う。 (Games where you can't compete without whale spending are trash.)不重度氪金就没法玩的游戏就是垃圾游戏。(不砸大钱就没有竞争力的游戏就是粪作。)Los juegos en los que no puedes competir sin gastar una fortuna son una basura.폐과금 안 하면 인권이 없는 게임은 쓰레기 게임이라고 생각해. (과금을 폭탄급으로 안 하면 경쟁도 못 하는 게임은 쓰레기 게임이다.)
✗ Don't Say
- 月数百円の課金を「廃課金」とは言わない — 廃課金 implies extreme amounts, typically tens of thousands of yen or more per month每月只花几百日元的氪金不能叫「廃課金」——「廃課金」特指极端的消费金额,通常是每月数万日元以上Gastar unos pocos cientos de yenes al mes no se llama「廃課金」— 廃課金 implica cantidades extremas, normalmente decenas de miles de yenes o más al mes.월 몇백 엔 과금을 '廃課金'이라고 하지 않는다 — 廃課金은 극단적인 금액, 보통 월 수만 엔 이상을 뜻한다
Common Mistakes
- Using 廃課金 casually for small spending — it specifically describes extreme, potentially problematic spending levels
Origin & History
From 廃 (ruin, abolish — here implying destructive excess) + 課金 (in-app spending). Emerged in the early 2010s gacha game boom. Part of a tiered spending vocabulary: 無課金 → 微課金 → 課金 → 重課金 → 廃課金.
Cultural Context
Era: Early 2010s with the gacha game boom
Generation: Teens to 30s, gamers
Social background: Various — some are wealthy, some are financially struggling
Regional notes: Used nationwide in gaming communities. Japan's gacha game market generates billions in revenue, partly from 廃課金 players.
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