What does “DQN” mean in Japanese? ドキュン? ドキュソ?
Although the artificial intelligence developed by a Google subsidiary is called DQN (deep Q-network), Japanese “DQN” is well known in a completely different meaning.
Just looking at the letters of this word, it seems like representing something related to “Dragon Quest”, but it is not.
It began to be used as a net slang and then used in everyday conversation today.
Originally it was written in katakana（ドキュン、ﾄﾞｷｭﾝ）, and also used with alphabets fitted to the sound.
There is a lower case “dqn” as well as an upper case “DQN”.
What is “DQN”?
This net slang “DQN (Do-kyu-n)” is a word that is used with derogatory meaning. The main way of reading is “do-kyu-n”, but in recent years it has been read by alphabets.
The meaning of this word is;
A very stupid person
A person who looks very foolish
A stupid who doesn’t care to bother others
Those who are not well-educated and have no dignity
Someone who looks rough or is actually rough
Someone who has little knowledge of social common sense and norms and doesn’t care to follow it
Youth delinquencies of boys or girls (also called “yankees” in Japan) tend to be considered DQN, but many of them are not DQN.
The origin of “DQN”
The background behind the use of “DQN” was a Japanese TV program called “Mokugeki! Dokyun” in the 1990s.
The purpose of this program is to track separated families due to divorces or other reasons and let them reunite, inviting sympathy and tears from the audience.
“Dokyun” is a word for gunshot sound in Japan.
This word might have been chosen to mean “I found the person I was looking for!”.
However, many of the people who appeared in the program were only those who had a life like “I gave birth in my teens, divorced in my 20s …”.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with giving birth as a teenager and raising children properly. However, many audiences felt that many of the people who appeared on the program were “young people lacking common sense”, and many characters of the reproduction VTR in the program were out of common sense, hence, the audience came to have a strong impression that “whoever appears in this program are insane people”.
Therefore, part of the program name “Dokyun” was used to call such people.
The Tokyo District Court admitted that it was regulated on the Internet as an insulting word because the expression “DQN” contained a discriminatory meaning.
Therefore, if you call someone “DQN” on a bulletin board or SNS on the Internet, personal information such as the remote host, address, and name may be checked.
DQN is also used when calling companies and organizations.
For example;
・DQN校 (DQN school): a not good school
・DQN企業 (DQN company): a company slaves employees
・DQNネーム (DQN name): a unusual name that other people even can’t read, such as Pikachu, Tiara, Heart, Rhythm, Melody or Kitty.
In many cases, parents later regret giving such names or children hate it and try to change when they reach a certain age.
When “DQN” is written in katakana, it is “ドキュン”.
Some people say “ドキュソ (dokyuso)”, using “so（ソ）” instead of “n（ン）” to pretend not to say the word.
Example of use of “DQN” (not discriminatory)
Lanchi wo taberunoni narande itara dokoka kara dokyun ga arawarete warikonde ittayo! Mukatsuku!
ランチ を 食べるのに 並んで いたら どこかから DQN が 現れて わりこんでいったよ！ムカつく！
I was lined up to get lunch, but a DQN appeared from somewhere and cut in the line! Annoying!
Ue no kai ni sundeiru dokyun ga itsumo daionryou de ongaku wo kiite irunda yo.
上 の 階 に 住んでいる DQN が いつも 大音量 で 音楽 を 聴いているんだよ。
The DQN living on the upper floor is always listening to music with a loud volume.
Ano kasyu ga mata paparacchi sareta kedo, kanojo wa itsumo nakayubi wo tateruyo ne.
Ime-ji ga taisetsu nano ni DQN sugiru.
あの 歌手 が またパパラッチされたけど、彼女 は いつも 中指 をたてるよ ね。
イメージ が 大切 なのに DQN 過ぎる。
That singer was paparazzied again, but she always lifts her middle finger to the camera. She should think about how she looked instead of doing it.
What a DQN she is though her image is important.
Hachijuu nendai/ Kyujuu nendai no oomisoka/ gantan niwa DQN na kuruma ga kaigan ni atsumatta monoda.
80年代・90年代 の 大晦日・元旦 には、DQN な 車 が 海岸 に 集まった ものだ。
In the 80’s and 90’s, many DQN cars flocked on the beach on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Sekkaku A gaisha ni shuusyoku dekita noni ikkagetsu de sore ga DQN gaisya dato iukoto ga hanmei shita. orz.
せっかく A会社 に 就職 できたのに、1か月 で それ が DQN会社 だと いうこと が 判明 した。orz.
I managed to get a job at Company A, but I found out that it was a DQN company in a month.
