イッチ

• Reading: イッチ
• Romaji: icchi
• Pronunciation: /it.tɕi/

Meaning

Thread starter or original poster (OP), derived from いち (one/first) — the person who created the thread.

イッチ is なんJ slang for the thread starter, the person who posted the first message (>>1). It comes from いち (one/first) with a playful katakana rendering. On boards like なんJ, the thread starter often sets the topic and tone, and other users may reference them as イッチ when responding. It functions similarly to 'OP' in English internet culture. The term has spread beyond 2ch/5ch to general internet usage.

Examples

1. イッチの質問に答えるけど、それは無理だと思う。 I'll answer OP's question, but I think that's impossible.
2. イッチがスレ立ててからもう3時間経ってるぞ。 It's already been three hours since OP started the thread.
3. イッチ、もうちょっと詳しく教えて。 OP, can you give us a bit more detail?

Usage Guide

Context: online forums, 2ch/5ch, internet culture

Tone: casual, forum-style

Do Say

• イッチに同意だわ (I agree with OP)
• イッチ、それマジ？ (OP, is that for real?)

Don't Say

• リアルで「イッチ」と呼ぶのは不自然 (Calling someone 'icchi' in real life is unnatural — it's forum terminology)

Common Mistakes

• Using イッチ outside of forum/board contexts where it doesn't make sense
• Not knowing it refers specifically to the thread starter, not just any poster

Origin & History

From いち (一, one/first), referring to the first poster in a thread (>>1). Became standard なんJ slang in the late 2000s. The katakana rendering gives it a playful, nickname-like quality.

Cultural Context

Era: Late 2000s なんJ culture

Generation: Internet forum users, 20s-30s

Social background: Internet/2ch culture

Regional notes: Used across Japan in online forum contexts. Primarily associated with なんJ and similar boards.