ヤリモク

• Reading: ヤリモク
• Romaji: yari moku
• Kanji breakdown: ヤる (to do it/have sex) + 目的 (purpose) → purpose is only sex. Abbreviated compound
• Pronunciation: /ja.ɾi.mo.kɯ/

Meaning

Someone whose only purpose for using a dating app or attending social events is to hook up — solely interested in sex.

A compound of ヤる (vulgar for 'to do it/have sex') and 目的 (purpose/objective), ヤリモク is a major red flag term in Japanese dating culture. Women frequently warn each other about ヤリモク users on dating apps. Identifying and avoiding ヤリモク is a common topic in dating advice content.

Examples

1. あの人ヤリモクだから気をつけてね。 That person is just looking to hook up, so be careful.
2. ヤリモクかどうか見分ける方法ってあるの？ Is there a way to tell if someone's only after sex?
3. 初回から家に誘ってくるやつは大体ヤリモク。 Anyone who invites you to their place on the first date is almost always just looking for a hookup.

Usage Guide

Context: close friends, dating app discussion

Tone: warning, critical

Do Say

• ヤリモクっぽい人にはすぐブロックしたほうがいい。 (You should block people who seem like they're just looking to hook up.)
• プロフィールちゃんと読まない人はヤリモクが多い。 (People who don't properly read your profile are often just looking for hookups.)

Don't Say

• 面と向かって「ヤリモクでしょ」は喧嘩になる (Saying 'you're just looking for sex' to someone's face will cause a fight)

Common Mistakes

• Using ヤリモク casually outside of private friend conversations — it's a crude term that should only be used in trusted company

Origin & History

Compound of ヤる (slang for having sex) and 目的 (mokuteki, purpose). Became prevalent with the rise of dating apps in the 2010s as a warning label for users with purely sexual intentions.

Cultural Context

Era: 2010s, dating app era

Generation: 20s-30s

Social background: Dating app culture

Regional notes: Used nationwide, especially among women discussing dating app safety. A key term in modern Japanese dating vocabulary.