is aho written in katakana or kanji?

aluminumstudios · Post by **aluminumstudios** » Sun Apr 06, 2003 12:07 am

I need to write "aho" in a video. Does anyone know if it's written in katakana (アホ) or kanji (阿呆?) I've seen it both ways. In Excel Saga there is an ep. where Excel goes into a school full of punks and it's written on the wall in katakana. In my Japanese dictionary it's written in kanji.
どちらですか？

I'm hoping someone who knows Japanese can answer this.

Thanks!

trythil · Post by **trythil** » Sun Apr 06, 2003 1:02 am

Depends on the context you use it in, I suppose. AFAIK, "aho" translates roughly to "idiot", and it seems to me that words normally written in kanji are written in hiragana/katakana when they want to appear less formal, or less respectful. Take, for example, Asuka writing on Shinji's desk "anata baka?!" in Evangelion TV ep 26. That'd also seem to work for the context that Excel Saga is placed in.

Of course, that's just a way-out guess of mine, and I'm just a lowly first-year student of Japanese, so what would I know

aluminumstudios · Post by **aluminumstudios** » Sun Apr 06, 2003 1:13 am

I thought it was odd something normally written in kanji would be written in katakana which is reserved for foreign languages. Then I was playing around in my Japanese word processor and saw that "ahou" is the On (or Chinese) reading of the characters. On readings are often written in katakana, so it makes sense now.

I didn't realize that writing in kana specifically made it less formal or respectful ... I can see that though ...

Thanks for the reply. I'm thinking what I need to use is "アホウ！"

trythil · Post by **trythil** » Sun Apr 06, 2003 1:30 am

aluminumstudios wrote: I didn't realize that writing in kana specifically made it less formal or respectful ... I can see that though ...

Oh, I just guessed on that, based on what little of anime I know, and we all know how accurate a depiction of Japanese society (most) anime is

I'm sure somebody will quickly confirm or deny that hypothesis, though...

EarthCurrent · Post by **EarthCurrent** » Sun Apr 06, 2003 1:40 am

I love yo all. but I think that yeah and stuf and if i were spelling I would use what ever I felt like because you know it iesaeir that wauy.

you know what Iam talking avout right? you should.

I hate koopkakes! but I love them too.

El Banana · Post by **El Banana** » Sun Apr 06, 2003 4:53 am

Koop..kakes?

Nasty.

You drunk buddy?

Flint the Dwarf · Post by **Flint the Dwarf** » Sun Apr 06, 2003 5:36 am

This thread was split to converse upon his drunkenness.