Do 能天気 and おっちょこちょい both mean "airhead" or do they mean something different? Is there another word for airhead?


I saw these different words used to describe someone who was something
careless in an airhead type of way so I wanted to know if they mean that or if
there is nuance in the definition. Is there another word for airhead if that
isn't the definition then?




They have different meanings. Please look up each word in a dictionary. 能天気な人
([jisho.org](https://jisho.org/word/%E8%83%BD%E5%A4%A9%E6%B0%97),
[ALC](https://eow.alc.co.jp/search?q=%E8%83%BD%E5%A4%A9%E6%B0%97)) refers to
someone who is carefree or optimistic to a fault, someone who doesn't get
serious or feel anxious even when they should. おっちょこちょいな人
([jisho.org](https://jisho.org/word/%E3%81%8A%E3%81%A3%E3%81%A1%E3%82%87%E3%81%93%E3%81%A1%E3%82%87%E3%81%84),
[ALC](https://eow.alc.co.jp/search?q=%E3%81%8A%E3%81%A3%E3%81%A1%E3%82%87%E3%81%93%E3%81%A1%E3%82%87%E3%81%84))
refers to someone who is careless and makes many simple (but usually non-
critical) mistakes such as forgetting an umbrella or blackening a pancake.

**EDIT** : As Nanigashi pointed out, jisho.org's definition of 能天気 may be
misleading. Monolingual dictionaries explicitly say or at least imply 能天気 is
derogatory (see
[this](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/%E8%83%BD%E5%A4%A9%E6%B0%97/) and
[this](https://www.weblio.jp/content/%E8%83%BD%E5%A4%A9%E6%B0%97)).

