ぼったくり

• Reading: ぼったくり
• Romaji: bottakuri
• Pronunciation: /bot.ta.ku.ɾi/

Meaning

A rip-off; being outrageously overcharged for goods or services.

ぼったくり describes situations where prices are absurdly inflated, whether at tourist-trap restaurants, shady bars, or online scams. It carries strong indignation — the speaker feels cheated. The word is also used as a noun (ぼったくりバー = rip-off bar) and as a verb (ぼったくる = to rip someone off).

Examples

1. あの居酒屋、お通し代だけで800円取られた。完全にぼったくりじゃん。 That izakaya charged 800 yen just for the table charge. Total rip-off.
2. 観光地の飲食店ってぼったくり多いから、事前にレビュー見たほうがいいよ。 Restaurants in tourist areas are full of rip-offs, so you should check reviews beforehand.
3. ぼったくりバーに連れて行かれて10万請求されたって友達が泣いてた。 My friend was crying because they got taken to a rip-off bar and hit with a 100,000 yen bill.

Usage Guide

Context: friends, social media, reviews

Tone: indignant, warning

Do Say

• この値段でこの量？ぼったくりでしょ。 (This little food for that price? What a rip-off.)
• あそこの店はぼったくりで有名だから行かないほうがいい。 (That place is famous for ripping people off, so don't go.)

Don't Say

• フォーマルな場で「ぼったくり」は使わない — use 割高 or 高額請求 in formal complaints (ぼったくり sounds too emotional for written complaints)

Common Mistakes

• Using ぼったくり for things that are simply expensive but fairly priced — it specifically implies dishonest overcharging

Origin & History

Derived from the verb ぼったくる, a colloquial intensified form of ぼる (to overcharge). The ったくり suffix adds a sense of being swindled. Has been in use since at least the Showa era, gaining wider use with online review culture.

Cultural Context

Era: Showa era origins, widespread since the 2000s with online reviews

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. Particularly associated with warnings about nightlife areas like Kabukicho in Shinjuku.