中二病

• Reading: ちゅうにびょう
• Romaji: chūnibyō
• Kanji breakdown: 中 (middle) + 二 (two/second) + 病 (illness/syndrome) → middle school second-year syndrome
• Pronunciation: /tɕɯː.ni.bʲoː/

Meaning

Eighth-grader syndrome — the cringe-worthy phase where adolescents adopt grandiose delusions, believing they have special powers or unique dark knowledge.

中二病 describes the embarrassing behaviours common around age 14: wearing bandages on an unwounded arm, claiming to have a 'dark past,' speaking in faux-philosophical riddles, or insisting you have suppressed supernatural powers. While the term mocks adolescent pretension, it is used affectionately — most people recognise their own 中二病 phase. It became a major anime genre after 'Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!'

Examples

1. 中二病の時に書いたポエム見つけて死にたくなった。 I found a poem I wrote during my chunibyo phase and wanted to die of embarrassment.
2. あの黒歴史は完全に中二病だったわ。 That cringey past was totally my chunibyo phase.
3. 大人になっても中二病が抜けない人っているよね。 Some people never grow out of their chunibyo phase even as adults.

Usage Guide

Context: anime, social media, nostalgia, teasing friends

Tone: teasing, nostalgic, self-deprecating

Do Say

• 中二病の黒歴史って誰にでもあるよね (Everyone has embarrassing chunibyo memories, right?)
• 中二病キャラって面白いから好き (I like chunibyo characters because they're funny)

Don't Say

• 本気で厨二的な趣味を持っている大人を馬鹿にするのは失礼 (Seriously mocking adults who enjoy chunibyo-style hobbies is rude)

Common Mistakes

• Using 中二病 to mock someone's genuine interests rather than the specific adolescent delusion behaviour
• Not understanding the three subtypes: DQN系 (delinquent), サブカル系 (subculture), and 邪気眼系 (evil eye/supernatural)

Origin & History

Coined by radio personality Hikaru Ijūin (伊集院光) around 1999 on his radio show. 中二 (second year of middle school, ~age 14) + 病 (illness/syndrome). Popularised massively by the 2012 anime '中二病でも恋がしたい!' (Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions).

Cultural Context

Era: 1999 coinage, 2012 anime-driven popularisation

Generation: Teens to 30s (widely recognised by all ages)

Social background: Youth culture, anime/manga community

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. One of the most well-known anime/internet culture terms, recognised even by people who don't watch anime.