I’m a geek. So be it. I like the status. I enjoy fantasy novels. I used to play online RPG games (and I still would if it was at all possible, which it isn’t, unfortunately). I geek out over cool kanji and nerd over new sociological finds. Philosophy is my muse. I understand Shakespeare and, more importantly, I enjoy his works! Learn4Life, what up. Microsoft WORD YO!
So how would I describe myself in Japanese? I’ve faced this problem a few times. オタク (otaku) doesn’t quite work for me. I’m not socially inept. At least, I’m not completely socially inept? I mean, I enjoy chilling with a diverse clique of people and chatting over a couple of beers. So オタク is out the window. The image doesn’t sit right with me.
ださい（やつ） is even worse, although my wife throws that one at me a lot, especially when I’m doing something silly in front of her, which happens often. So how do I express this idea of “geek” in Japanese then?
がり勉. [がりべん] Geek out. Pound the books. がり勉家 – A swot. A bookworm.
It’s probably not bathed in the most positive light, but it’s a badge I’ll wear with honor. It’s a lot better than both オタク and ださい.
Let’s be honest here – If you’re reading through this post, or most of what I write on this website, and you’re actually interested in it, then you’re probably at least somewhat of a がり勉家 yourself, right? So the next time someone asks you how you’d describe yourself in Japanese, wear a huge smile and respond, “がり勉家だ！”
Related posts:
