How do you use "自虐" in a sentence?

自虐ばっかりだと心配になるからほどほどにね。自虐で笑いを取るのがあの人のスタイル。また自虐始まった、本当はそんなこと思ってないくせに。

自虐

Q: How do you use "自虐" in a sentence?

自虐ばっかりだと心配になるからほどほどにね。 自虐で笑いを取るのがあの人のスタイル。 また自虐始まった、本当はそんなこと思ってないくせに。

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Meaning: Self-deprecation; putting yourself down, often for humour or to deflect attention.

自嘲——贬低自己，通常是为了搞笑或转移注意力。

Autodesprecio; menospreciarse a uno mismo, a menudo con humor o para desviar la atención.

자기 비하; 유머나 관심을 피하기 위해 자신을 깎아내리는 것.

自虐 is a widely used social strategy in Japan — making fun of yourself before anyone else can. It overlaps with 謙遜 (humility) but is more active and often more exaggerated. 自虐ネタ (self-deprecating jokes) are a staple of Japanese comedy, and social media is full of self-deprecating posts about being single, broke, or bad at life.

自虐是日本广泛使用的社交策略——在别人吐槽你之前先自己吐槽自己。它与謙遜（谦虚）有重叠，但更主动、往往也更夸张。自虐ネタ（自嘲段子）是日本喜剧的固定节目，社交媒体上也到处是关于自己单身、穷、生活一团糟的自嘲帖子。

自虐 es una estrategia social muy extendida en Japón: burlarse de uno mismo antes de que lo haga otro. Se solapa con 謙遜 (humildad), pero es más activa y a menudo más exagerada. Los 自虐ネタ (chistes autodespreciativos) son un pilar de la comedia japonesa, y las redes sociales están llenas de publicaciones autodespreciativas sobre estar soltero, sin blanca o ser un desastre en la vida.

지갸쿠(自虐)는 일본에서 널리 사용되는 사교 전략이다 — 남이 놀리기 전에 먼저 자신을 놀리는 것. 겐손(謙遜, 겸손)과 겹치지만 더 적극적이고 과장된 경우가 많다. 자기 비하 개그(自虐ネタ)는 일본 개그의 단골 요소이며, SNS에는 솔로, 가난, 삶의 실패에 대한 자기 비하 게시물이 넘쳐난다.

Examples

自虐ばっかりだと心配になるからほどほどにね。
老是自嘲的话会让人担心的，适可而止啊。
Si solo te desprecias a ti mismo todo el rato, acabas preocupando a la gente, así que con moderación.
자기 비하만 하면 걱정되니까 적당히 해.
自虐で笑いを取るのがあの人のスタイル。
靠自嘲来博笑是那个人的风格。
Su estilo es hacer reír a costa de sí mismo.
자기 비하로 웃음을 이끄는 게 그 사람의 스타일이야.
また自虐始まった、本当はそんなこと思ってないくせに。
又开始自嘲了，其实你心里根本不那么想吧。
Ya empieza otra vez con el autodesprecio; seguro que en el fondo no piensa nada de eso.
또 자기 비하 시작했네, 실은 그렇게 생각하지도 않으면서.

Pronunciation

/dʑi.ɡʲa.kɯ/

Usage Guide

Context: comedy, social media, self-introduction, casual conversation

Tone: humorous, self-deprecating

✓ Do Say

自虐ネタで場を和ませるのがうまいね (You're good at lightening the mood with self-deprecating jokes)
你用自嘲来活跃气氛的本事真强（You're good at lightening the mood with self-deprecating jokes）
Se te da muy bien romper el hielo con humor autodespreciativo.
자기 비하 개그로 분위기 띄우는 거 잘하네 (You're good at lightening the mood with self-deprecating jokes)
自虐はほどほどにしないと本当に自己肯定感下がるよ (If you don't moderate your self-deprecation, your self-esteem will actually drop)
自嘲适可而止，不然自我认同感真的会下降的（If you don't moderate your self-deprecation, your self-esteem will actually drop）
Si no moderas el autodesprecio, tu autoestima acabará bajando de verdad.
자기 비하도 적당히 해야지, 진짜로 자존감 떨어져 (If you don't moderate your self-deprecation, your self-esteem will actually drop)

✗ Don't Say

本当に悩んでいる人の発言を「自虐でしょ」と軽く流さない (Don't dismiss genuinely troubled people by saying 'oh, you're just being self-deprecating')
对真正在烦恼的人不要一句'你不过是自嘲吧'就轻飘飘带过（Don't dismiss genuinely troubled people by saying 'oh, you're just being self-deprecating'）
No descartes lo que dice alguien que de verdad lo está pasando mal con un «bah, solo se está autodespreciando».
정말로 고민하는 사람의 말을 '자기 비하지'라고 가볍게 넘기지 마 (Don't dismiss genuinely troubled people by saying 'oh, you're just being self-deprecating')

Common Mistakes

Not recognising when 自虐 crosses from humour to genuine self-loathing — the line can be thin
Trying to match Japanese-level self-deprecation as a foreigner — it can come across as fishing for compliments rather than genuine humour

Origin & History

From 自 (self) + 虐 (torment/abuse) — literally 'self-torment.' While the kanji suggest severity, modern usage is predominantly humorous. Self-deprecation has long been a favoured comedy style in Japanese culture.

Cultural Context

Era: Long-standing comedy tradition, amplified by social media

Generation: All ages (especially prominent online)

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. Self-deprecating humour is a dominant style in Japanese comedy and social media culture.

自虐