しょうもない

• Reading: しょうもない
• Romaji: shōmonai
• Pronunciation: /ɕoː.mo.na.i/

Meaning

Worthless, pointless, or stupid — dismisses something as not worth anyone's time or attention.

しょうもない expresses that something is so trivial, boring, or low-quality that it barely deserves acknowledgement. It is used for bad jokes, petty arguments, low-effort content, and anything else deemed a waste of time. While originally more common in the Kansai region, it is now used and understood across all of Japan in casual speech.

Examples

1. しょうもないことでケンカするなよ。 Don't fight over something so pointless.
2. あの番組しょうもないけど、なんか見ちゃうんだよね。 That show is dumb, but somehow I end up watching it anyway.
3. しょうもない嘘つくなって。 Stop telling such pointless lies.

Usage Guide

Context: friends, casual conversation, reacting to content

Tone: dismissive, exasperated

Do Say

• しょうもない話で時間無駄にした。 (Wasted my time on a pointless conversation.)
• しょうもないギャグで笑わせようとするな。 (Don't try to make me laugh with lame jokes.)

Don't Say

• フォーマルな場で「しょうもない」は砕けすぎる — くだらない or つまらない を使う (しょうもない is too casual for formal settings — use くだらない or つまらない instead)

Common Mistakes

• Spelling it as しょーもない in writing — while spoken that way, the standard written form is しょうもない
• Thinking it is Kansai dialect only — it is now used nationwide

Origin & History

Derived from 仕様もない (shiyō mo nai, 'nothing to be done about it / worthless'). Originally more common in Kansai dialect, it spread nationwide through media and is now standard casual Japanese.

Cultural Context

Era: Long-standing expression, nationwide spread from 1990s onward

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal informal

Regional notes: Originally more associated with Kansai but now used across all of Japan.