オワコン
Meaning: Finished content, washed up, or past its prime — declares that something (or someone) has peaked and is no longer relevant.
A contraction of 終わったコンテンツ (owatta kontentsu, 'finished content'), オワコン is used to declare that a show, game, platform, celebrity, or trend has run its course. It carries a sense of finality — once something is labelled オワコン, the speaker considers it dead or irrelevant. It is commonly used in internet discussions about media, entertainment, and trends, though it can also be applied to people and companies.
Examples
- あのYouTuber完全にオワコンになったよね。 那个YouTuber完全过气了吧。Ese youtuber se ha quedado totalmente acabado, ¿no?그 유튜버 완전히 한물갔지.
- テレビはオワコンって言う人多いけど、まだ見てるけどな。 虽然很多人说电视已经凉了,但我还在看呢。Mucha gente dice que la tele es cosa del pasado, pero yo todavía la veo.TV는 한물갔다고 하는 사람 많은데, 나는 아직 보긴 해.
- もうオワコンかと思ったらまた流行り始めた。 以为已经凉了结果又火起来了。Pensaba que ya estaba acabado, pero resulta que volvió a ponerse de moda.이제 한물간 줄 알았는데 다시 유행하기 시작했어.
Pronunciation
/o.wa.koɴ/
Usage Guide
Context: internet, social media, friends, gaming
Tone: dismissive, declarative
✓ Do Say
- あのゲームもうオワコンでしょ。 (That game is washed up, isn't it?)那个游戏已经凉了吧。(That game is washed up, isn't it?)Ese juego ya está acabado, ¿no? (That game is washed up, isn't it?)あのゲームもうオワコンでしょ。 (그 게임 이제 한물갔지.)
- オワコンって言われてたのに復活したの凄い。 (It's amazing it came back after being called dead.)明明被说已经凉了却能翻红,太厉害了。(It's amazing it came back after being called dead.)Es increíble que haya resurgido después de que lo dieran por muerto. (It's amazing it came back after being called dead.)オワコンって言われてたのに復活したの凄い。 (한물갔다는 소리 들었는데 부활한 거 대단해.)
✗ Don't Say
- 現役で頑張ってる人に「オワコン」は非常に失礼 (Calling someone who is still actively working 'owakon' is extremely rude)对仍在努力的人说'オワコン'是非常失礼的Llamar «owakon» a alguien que sigue activo y esforzándose es extremadamente grosero (Calling someone who is still actively working 'owakon' is extremely rude)現役で頑張ってる人に「オワコン」は非常に失礼 (현역으로 열심히 하고 있는 사람에게 'オワコン'이라고 하는 건 매우 실례다)
Common Mistakes
- Using オワコン for things that were never popular to begin with — it specifically implies something that was once relevant
- Not realising オワコン can be premature — many things labelled オワコン make comebacks
Origin & History
Contraction of 終わったコンテンツ (owatta kontentsu, 'finished content'). Emerged on Japanese internet forums (2ch/5ch) in the late 2000s and quickly became standard internet slang for declaring things past their prime.
Cultural Context
Era: Late 2000s internet slang
Generation: Millennials and Gen Z
Social background: Universal informal
Regional notes: Used nationwide, primarily online. One of the most recognisable internet-born slang terms.
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