村八分

Vocabulary Word Japanese ★★★☆☆ Moderate Casual
Practice this with flashcards, quizzes & audio on WordLoci

Meaning: Social ostracism — being shunned and excluded by a community for breaking unwritten rules.

社会性孤立——因违反潜规则而被整个社群排斥和排挤。
Ostracismo social: ser marginado y excluido por una comunidad por incumplir las normas no escritas.
마을 따돌림 — 불문율을 어긴 사람을 공동체에서 배척하고 따돌리는 것.

Originating from Edo-period village communities, 村八分 meant cutting someone off from eight of the ten communal services (all except firefighting and funerals). In modern usage, it describes being socially frozen out by a workplace, school, neighbourhood, or online community. The term carries the weight of Japan's group-oriented social structure where exclusion from the group is one of the most severe social punishments.

源于江户时代的村落社会,村八分原指将某人排除在十项公共服务中的八项之外(只保留灭火和丧葬)。在现代用法中,它描述被职场、学校、社区或网络社群集体冷落排挤的状态。这个词承载着日本以群体为中心的社会结构的分量,在这种结构中,被群体排斥是最严厉的社会惩罚之一。
Originado en las comunidades rurales del periodo Edo, 村八分 significaba cortar a alguien de ocho de los diez servicios comunitarios (todos excepto los de incendios y funerales). En el uso moderno, describe ser socialmente apartado en un lugar de trabajo, escuela, barrio o comunidad en línea. El término conlleva el peso de la estructura social japonesa orientada al grupo, donde la exclusión del grupo es uno de los castigos sociales más severos.
에도 시대 마을 공동체에서 유래한 말로, 村八分는 열 가지 공동 서비스 중 여덟 가지(소방과 장례를 제외한 전부)를 끊어버리는 것을 의미했다. 현대에서는 직장, 학교, 동네, 온라인 커뮤니티에서 사회적으로 고립되는 것을 뜻한다. 집단에서의 배제가 가장 무거운 사회적 처벌 중 하나인 일본의 집단 지향적 사회 구조의 무게를 담고 있다.

Examples

  1. ゴミの分別を間違えたら近所から村八分にされそうになった。
    垃圾分类搞错了,差点被邻居们集体排挤。
    Por equivocarme al separar la basura, casi me hacen el vacío en el barrio.
    쓰레기 분리수거를 잘못했더니 동네에서 따돌림당할 뻔했어.
  2. 空気読まない発言したら職場で村八分になった。
    说了不看气氛的话,在公司被集体孤立了。
    Por hacer un comentario fuera de lugar, me hicieron el vacío en la oficina.
    분위기 못 읽는 말을 했더니 직장에서 왕따가 됐어.
  3. SNSで炎上すると村八分状態になるのが怖い。
    在社交媒体上被炎上后变成被集体排挤的状态,想想就可怕。
    Da miedo que si te linchan en las redes acabes en un estado de ostracismo total.
    SNS에서 논란이 되면 따돌림 상태가 되는 게 무서워.

Pronunciation

/mu.ra.ha.tɕi.bu/

Usage Guide

Context: social commentary, workplace, neighbourhood disputes

Tone: serious, cautionary

✓ Do Say

  • 引っ越し先で村八分にならないように挨拶回りした (I did the rounds of greetings so I wouldn't get shunned at my new place)
    搬家后为了不被排挤,挨家挨户去打了招呼(I did the rounds of greetings so I wouldn't get shunned at my new place)
    Fui a presentarme a todos los vecinos para que no me hicieran el vacío en el sitio nuevo (I did the rounds of greetings so I wouldn't get shunned at my new place)
    이사 간 곳에서 따돌림당하지 않으려고 인사 돌았어 (새 동네에서 왕따당하지 않으려고 인사를 다녔어)
  • ネットの村八分は現実以上にきついかも (Online ostracism might be even harder than in real life)
    网上的集体排挤可能比现实中还要残酷(Online ostracism might be even harder than in real life)
    El ostracismo en internet puede ser incluso peor que en la vida real (Online ostracism might be even harder than in real life)
    인터넷 따돌림은 현실보다 더 힘들 수도 있어 (온라인 배척은 현실보다 더 괴로울 수 있어)

✗ Don't Say

  • 軽い仲間外れに「村八分」は大げさすぎる (Calling a minor case of exclusion 'murahachibu' is too dramatic)
    对轻微的被排挤用'村八分'这个词太夸张了(Calling a minor case of exclusion 'murahachibu' is too dramatic)
    Llamar «murahachibu» a un caso menor de exclusión es exagerar demasiado (Calling a minor case of exclusion 'murahachibu' is too dramatic)
    가벼운 따돌림에 '무라하치부'라고 하면 너무 과장이다 (사소한 따돌림에 '무라하치부'라고 하면 너무 대단하게 만드는 것이다)

Common Mistakes

Origin & History

From Edo-period village (村) custom where a household that violated community rules was cut off from eight (八分) of the ten communal obligations — all except firefighting and funeral services, which were too critical to withhold.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo period origin, still used in modern contexts

Generation: Adults 30s and above mostly, but widely understood

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. Particularly relevant in close-knit communities and workplace discussions.

More From This Topic

本音 ★★★★★ One's true feelings or real intentions, as opposed to wha... 建前 ★★★★★ The public facade or polite social mask one wears; what y... 仕方ない ★★★★★ It can't be helped; there's nothing we can do about it — ... しょうがない ★★★★★ Can't be helped — the casual, everyday version of 仕方ない, u... もったいない ★★★★★ What a waste! Too good to throw away — expresses regret o... 我慢 ★★★★★ Endurance; patiently bearing hardship or discomfort witho...
X / Twitter WhatsApp Facebook

More from Traditional with Modern Twists

Practice "村八分" on WordLoci

Flashcards, quizzes, audio pronunciation & spaced repetition — all free