サボる

• Reading: サボる
• Romaji: saboru
• Kanji breakdown: From French 'sabotage' → サボタージュ → サボ + Japanese verb suffix る → サボる (to slack off)
• Pronunciation: /sa.bo.ɾu/

Meaning

To skip, slack off, or play hooky. A verb formed from the French/English word 'sabotage' combined with the Japanese verb suffix る.

サボる is a well-established verb meaning to skip an obligation (class, work, chores) or to slack off. Despite its origins in 'sabotage,' the modern usage is much lighter — it implies laziness or avoidance rather than deliberate destruction. It is commonly used by students talking about skipping class and by workers talking about slacking off. The word has been in Japanese for decades and is widely understood across all generations.

Examples

1. 今日の授業サボって映画見に行こうぜ。 Let's skip class today and go see a movie.
2. バイトサボりたい気分だけど、さすがにまずいか。 I feel like skipping work, but that'd probably be pushing it.
3. 掃除当番サボるやつ、毎回同じ人なんだよね。 The person who skips cleaning duty is always the same one.

Usage Guide

Context: student life, work, daily conversation

Tone: casual, slightly guilty

Do Say

• 今日の会議サボりたい。 (I want to skip today's meeting.)
• またサボってるの？ (Are you slacking off again?)

Don't Say

• 上司に「サボってました」とは言えない (Don't tell your boss you were 'sabotting' — too blunt and self-incriminating)

Common Mistakes

• Not knowing サボる comes from French 'sabotage' — it is one of the few French-origin words in everyday Japanese
• Thinking サボる implies malicious intent — it simply means skipping or being lazy, not sabotage

Origin & History

From French 'sabotage' (via English) → サボタージュ (sabotāju) → サボ + Japanese verb suffix る. Adopted in the early 20th century during the labour movement era, originally referring to work slowdowns, but evolved to mean simply skipping or slacking off.

Cultural Context

Era: Early 20th century origin, universally used since postwar era

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. One of the oldest foreign-origin verb formations in modern Japanese.