# Onan, onani, the japanese language and mastrubation **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 3, 2004, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416 "2004-06-03T07:46:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sandlegs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@Sandlegs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sandlegs)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416/1 "2004-06-03T07:46:33Z")
ok, i have a language question for all of those that are fluent, and have much info on the japanese language. Onani is the word for mastrubation in the japanese language. The question is, does onani have any connection to Onan, the man in the bible who “spilled his seed upon the earth”? It’s too close to be a coincedence. could the Portugese missionaries have taught this to the Japanese, and it stayed a part of their language? ---
**Author:** ![Sandlegs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@Sandlegs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sandlegs)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416/2 "2004-06-03T08:24:08Z")
crap, i hate to directly reply to my posts, but i think i have the answer. onanism is the old way to say mastrubation, so, i am am guessing the japanese is totally connected to it, without a doubt. sorry for the post and all moderators, you may close this thread if you wish ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416/3 "2004-06-03T09:41:26Z")
No no, I’m interested in hearing more about this “mastrubation”. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416/4 "2004-06-03T09:42:33Z")
> [@Sandlegs](#): > > The question is, does onani have any connection to Onan, the man in the bible who “spilled his seed upon the earth”? Yes, just like Sodom - sodomy. Note that it is widely accepted that Onan did not in fact masturbate but perform a coitus interruptus. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416/5 "2004-06-03T13:22:02Z")
And before lifting “onani[sm]” from some Western language, Japanese must have had a homegrown terminology for referring to that activity, terminology that is likely still available for use as an alternative to “onani”, but the latter word caught on. Think of how English has the various expressions “sodomy”, “anal sex”, “buggery”, “act against nature”, etc., acquired at various points in history, to refer to one same act. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416/6 "2004-06-03T14:33:16Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > And before lifting “onani[sm]” from some Western language, Japanese must have had a homegrown terminology for referring to that activity, terminology that is likely still available for use as an alternative to “onani”, but the latter word caught on. _Onani_ was imported via German, or so my dictionary says. Other words include _masutaabeeshon, shuin, jii,_ and some more. _Onani_ is by far the most common, though. ---
**Author:** ![NiceGuyJack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/niceguyjack/32/3069_2.png) [@NiceGuyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NiceGuyJack)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416/7 "2004-06-03T15:05:27Z")
Yes, like jovan says it’s from the German language. There are a few words in Japanese with German origins, onani being one and arubaito being another. There was a rather strong Prussian influence in the late 20’s early 30’s after Britain cancelled their alliance with Japan after WWI. There are still remnants today in other areas of that Prussian influence. The Japanese boys’ school uniforms are from that era when Japan revamped their education system. They looked to the west and adopted the Prussian education system of that time. Although the curriculum might have changed since WWII, the Prussian style uniforms remain. Going back to the OP, I must confess, I am still curious why, out of all the German words available, would onani make it into the Japanese language? Did a Japanese administrator catch a German diplomat knocking one out in the bathroom? Anyone have an answer to that one would have my eternal respect as the undisputed king of useless facts. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416/8 "2004-06-03T15:09:16Z")
The Japanese love to take English (or other foreign words) and make them their own. Like _beito_ for “part-time job”, taken from the German word, _arubeit_. My favorite Japanese word is _onapetto_ which means “onanism pet” or, literally, the image to which one masturbates. They also have _onaidoru_ or “onanism idol” for those who masturbate thinking of pop stars. What fascinating, useful terminology! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416/9 "2004-06-03T15:13:21Z")
> [@NiceGuyJack](#): > > Did a Japanese administrator catch a German diplomat knocking one out in the bathroom? Anyone have an answer to that one would have my eternal respect as the undisputed king of useless facts. Okay, I’ll give it a shot. Japan imported a lot of medical know-how from Germany. To this day, there are many medical terms that have German roots, such as _rentogen_ (x-ray) and _karute_ (medical chart). Anyway, _onani_ came to Japan via psychology. Add in the mix Freud and co. and it’s not surprising that a German word was adopted. ---
**Author:** ![NiceGuyJack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/niceguyjack/32/3069_2.png) [@NiceGuyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NiceGuyJack)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416/10 "2004-06-03T15:20:10Z")
> [@jovan](#): > > Okay, I’ll give it a shot. Japan imported a lot of medical know-how from Germany. To this day, there are many medical terms that have German roots, such as _rentogen_ (x-ray) and _karute_ (medical chart). > > Anyway, _onani_ came to Japan via psychology. Add in the mix Freud and co. and it’s not surprising that a German word was adopted. But of course! :smack: Well I stand by my words. You are the undisputed king of useless facts in my book, and have gained my respect accordingly. ---
**Author:** ![NiceGuyJack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/niceguyjack/32/3069_2.png) [@NiceGuyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NiceGuyJack)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416/11 "2004-06-03T15:36:44Z")
Actually, taken in context, it’s not really useless information… It is cultural history. jovan, you still have my respect. ---
**Author:** ![emekthian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecae2f/32.png) [@emekthian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emekthian)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416/12 "2004-06-03T18:48:00Z")
> [@](#): > > The question is, does onani have any connection to Onan, the man in the bible who “spilled his seed upon the earth”? > > It’s too close to be a coincedence. Not necessarily. While in this case it seems that “onani” actually was a borrowed term, it’s quite possible for two words in unrelated languages to be the same or similar, and have the same meaning. There’s an interesting web page about that [here](http://www.zompist.com/chance.htm). ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416/13 "2004-06-03T20:32:26Z")
I believe the home-grown Japanese term is _senzuri-suru_. Don’t ask me how I know this. ---
**Author:** ![MelCthefirst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@MelCthefirst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MelCthefirst)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416/14 "2004-06-03T22:21:14Z")
> [@bizzwire](#): > > I believe the home-grown Japanese term is _senzuri-suru_. > > Don’t ask me how I know this. This was the term that I heard most often when living there - worked with adolescent boys, what can I say! Meaning a thousand times - I always thought that it would take less than a 1000 times, so, has anyone ever or would they be willing to count next time they go on a date with Miss five fingers and then report back? ---
**Author:** ![Tentacle\_Monster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ba9def/32.png) [@Tentacle\_Monster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tentacle_Monster)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416/15 "2004-06-03T22:38:50Z")
I know very little Japanese. However, “thousand strokes” is a male-specific term. The female equivalent translates into “ten thousand strokes”. Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. ---
**Author:** ![MelCthefirst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@MelCthefirst](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MelCthefirst)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416/16 "2004-06-04T03:02:15Z")
> [@Tentacle Monster](#): > > I know very little Japanese. However, “thousand strokes” is a male-specific term. The female equivalent translates into “ten thousand strokes”. > > Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong. sen = 1000 suru = do Not sure where you get 10,000? ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416/17 "2004-06-04T03:49:53Z")
According to _Japanee Street Slang_ by Petr Constantine, female masturbation is _manzuri_. _Man_ is 10,000. Other terms include “omankosuri” (snatch rub), “temanko” (hand-snatch - you probably can deduce that “omanko” is the c-word), “bobowaru” (literally splitting the snatch), “nigiribobo” (grab snatch), and, my personal favorite, “yubizeme” which means “finger attack”… The book also says “sutabeeshon”, from a truncated “masturbation” has become popular amongst the youth (in 1992 anyway). ---
**Author:** ![Aeschines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aeschines/32/16251_2.png) [@Aeschines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aeschines)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416/18 "2004-06-04T05:12:55Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#): > > According to _Japanee Street Slang_ by Petr Constantine, female masturbation is _manzuri_. _Man_ is 10,000. Other terms include “omankosuri” (snatch rub), “temanko” (hand-snatch - you probably can deduce that “omanko” is the c-word), “bobowaru” (literally splitting the snatch), “nigiribobo” (grab snatch), and, my personal favorite, “yubizeme” which means “finger attack”… > > The book also says “sutabeeshon”, from a truncated “masturbation” has become popular amongst the youth (in 1992 anyway). Yeah, onani, a very stupid word (in its English or Japanese versions) is the most common term I’ve heard. A warning about Japanese slang: it has a shelf-life of about two months. I’m not joking. Sometimes those “street Japanese” books have terms that went out in the 60s. Another thing about slang here is that it’s so divided into compartments. You have manga-slang that only people who read manga are going to get (or at least use), terms made popular by TV, pr0n slang, college slang, schoolgirl slang, etc. I gave up a long time ago trying to keep track of it or even learn it, since it never lasts long and is usually just vulgar, mindless BS, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416/19 "2004-06-04T06:04:18Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > A warning about Japanese slang: it has a shelf-life of about two months. I’m not joking. Sometimes those “street Japanese” books have terms that went out in the 60s. > > I gave up a long time ago trying to keep track of it or even learn it, since it never lasts long and is usually just vulgar, mindless BS, anyway. Yeah, I kinda figured most of the stuff in this book is out of date but I find it amusing anyway. It’s a lot like a book I picked up that designed for a Japanes student coming to America for the first time. Horrndously dated dialogue. But I think even dated slang is still pretty interesting. Like “obatarian”. What a fascinating etemology for a useful term. Is the term still used in Japan? [offtopic] An obatarian is a middle-aged bossy battle-ax of a woman. The term was coined from th words “oba” (meaning “aunt”) and batarian (or “battalion”, a term which became popular after the 1970’s George Romero zombie movies - Battalion was th Japanese title)[/totally off-topic] ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416/20 "2004-06-04T14:47:29Z")
> [@Aeschines](#): > > Another thing about slang here is that it’s so divided into compartments. You have manga-slang that only people who read manga are going to get (or at least use), terms made popular by TV, pr0n slang, college slang, schoolgirl slang, etc. And, also, there’s the whole issue of regions that factors in too. A certain word might be all the rage amongst the Yokohama _ganguro_ (my god, why did they have to come back?) while being completely un-heard of in Nagasaki. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/onan-onani-the-japanese-language-and-mastrubation/248416.md?page=2)