マイクオフ

• Reading: マイクオフ
• Romaji: maiku ofu
• Pronunciation: /ma.i.ku.o.ɸu/

Meaning

Mic off, muted — having your microphone turned off during a video call, either intentionally or accidentally.

Combining マイク (microphone, from English 'mic') with オフ (off), this term became a daily-use phrase during the pandemic remote work era. 'マイクオフにして' (turn off your mic) and 'マイクオフのまま話してた' (was talking with the mic off) are universally relatable remote work experiences. It also spawned the running joke of someone passionately presenting while unknowingly muted.

Examples

1. 発言しないときはマイクオフにしといてね。 Turn your mic off when you're not speaking, okay?
2. 熱弁してたのにマイクオフだった、恥ずかしい。 I was giving this passionate speech and my mic was off the whole time — so embarrassing.
3. マイクオフにし忘れて生活音全部聞こえてたらしい。 Apparently I forgot to turn my mic off and everyone could hear everything going on at my place.

Usage Guide

Context: video calls, remote work, online classes

Tone: practical, sometimes embarrassed

Do Say

• すみません、マイクオフでした。 (Sorry, my mic was off.)
• マイクオフのまま5分くらいしゃべってた。 (I was talking for about 5 minutes with my mic off.)

Don't Say

• マイクオフを「ミュート」と言っても通じる — 場面に応じて使い分ける (You can also say ミュート (mute) — use either depending on the situation)

Common Mistakes

• Forgetting to unmute when speaking — the universal remote meeting mistake that inspired countless memes

Origin & History

Compound of マイク (microphone, abbreviated from English) + オフ (off, from English). Became ubiquitous during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020) as video meetings became the norm.

Cultural Context

Era: 2020 COVID-19 pandemic era

Generation: Working adults and students

Social background: Professional/educational

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. One of the most relatable remote work experiences globally.