Japanese

Verb

あかん ‎(romaji akan)

1. negative form of あく.
2. (Kansai) to make little progress; a waste of time
3. (Kansai) something that is not good, something that is forbidden

   酒 (さけ)はあかん

   sake wa akan

   alcohol is forbidden

Usage notes

Commonly used in western Japan, especially the Kansai dialects.

Synonyms

• いけない ‎(ikenai): "doesn't go, cannot go" → inappropriate
• ならない ‎(naranai): "doesn't become" → unbecoming, inappropriate
• 駄目 (だめ) ‎(dame): no good, bad, stop, don't

References

1. ↑ 1988, 国語大辞典（新装版） (Kokugo Dai Jiten, Revised Edition) (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan
2. ↑ 2006, 大辞林 (Daijirin), Third Edition (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Sanseidō, ISBN 4-385-13905-9