ブロック

• Reading: ブロック
• Romaji: burokku
• Kanji breakdown: From English 'block' — to prevent someone from contacting or viewing your account
• Pronunciation: /bu.ro.kku/

Meaning

To block someone on social media or messaging apps, preventing them from contacting you or seeing your content.

ブロック (from English 'block') is the standard term for blocking someone on any social platform. In Japanese internet culture, blocking carries significant social weight — it is seen as a definitive statement of cutting ties. 'ブロックされた' (I was blocked) is a dramatic event in online relationships. Some users differentiate between ブロック (hard block, completely severing connection) and ミュート (soft block, just hiding posts). ブロ解 (buro-kai, block-then-unblock) is a technique to force-unfollow someone without directly unfollowing them.

Examples

1. しつこいからもうブロックした。 They were being annoying so I just blocked them.
2. 推しにブロックされたら立ち直れない。 If my oshi blocked me I'd never recover.
3. ブロックするほどじゃないけどミュートはした。 It's not bad enough to block, but I did mute them.

Usage Guide

Context: social media, messaging, online discussion

Tone: decisive, sometimes dramatic

Do Say

• 変なアカウントはすぐブロックした方がいいよ。 (You should block suspicious accounts right away.)
• ブロ解って知ってる？ (Do you know about the block-unblock technique?)

Don't Say

• リアルの関係で「ブロックした」と言う (Don't say you 'blocked' someone in real-life contexts — it's an online-specific term)

Common Mistakes

• Not knowing ブロ解 (buro-kai) — the technique of blocking then unblocking to force-remove a follower
• Using ブロック when ミュート would be more appropriate — blocking is a much stronger action in Japanese online culture

Origin & History

From English 'block.' Adopted directly into Japanese as social media platforms introduced blocking features. The term became emotionally charged in Japanese internet culture where online relationships carry significant weight.

Cultural Context

Era: 2010s, with social media mainstream adoption

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across Japan. Blocking carries more dramatic weight in Japanese internet culture compared to Western social media.