All Entries
44 entries1
よっ よっ
The ultimate minimal male greeting — just one syllable
Casual
2
やばい やばい
The ultimate all-purpose slang — can mean anything from "amazing" to "terrible"
Casual
3
ワロタ わろた
Internet-speak for 'I laughed' — the predecessor to 草 (kusa), born on 2ch forums.
Casual
4
ワンチャン わんちゃん
"Maybe" / "there is a chance" — from "one chance," now means any slim possibility
Casual
5
ウケる うける
"That is hilarious" — the classic laugh reaction, especially "ウケるんだけど！"
Casual
6
上から目線 うえからめせん
Talking down to someone — acting superior when you have no right to
Casual
7
積ん読 つんどく
Buying books and letting them pile up unread — one of the most famous "untranslatable Japanese words"
Context
8
使えない つかえない
"Useless" / "incompetent" — a harsh way to call someone worthless at their job
Casual
9
豆腐メンタル とうふめんたる
Someone who's mentally fragile — their mind crumbles like tofu at the slightest pressure.
Casual
10
タワマン たわまん
Short for 'tower mansion' — a high-rise condo that doubles as a status symbol
Context
11
タメ語 ためご
Casual speech without honorifics — the way you talk to equals and close friends.
Casual
12
ただしイケメンに限る ただしいけめんにかぎる
"...but only if you're hot." A cynical internet meme about looks privilege.
Casual
13
それな それな
"Exactly" / "that" — the shortest possible way to agree with someone
Casual
14
知らんけど しらんけど
A Kansai-born phrase tacked onto the end of statements to dodge responsibility — 'but I dunno though.'
Casual
15
セクハラ せくはら
Short for 'sexual harassment' — Japan's first mainstream harassment term
Context
16
ぴえん ぴえん
A cute way to say "I am sad" / "I wanna cry" — huge in 2019, now a bit dated
Casual
17
パリピ ぱりぴ
Casual
18
お疲れ様です おつかれさまです
The all-purpose workplace greeting — works as "hello," "goodbye," and everything in between
Flexible
19
推し おし
Your favorite person/thing you stan — from idol culture, now used for everything
Casual
20
ンゴ んご
A suffix from 2ch/5ch forums — add "-ngo" to sentences for self-deprecating humor
Casual
21
港区 みなとく
Tokyo's richest ward — used as slang for wealth, status, and a certain lifestyle
Context
22
港区女子 みなとくじょし
Women who party in Tokyo's flashiest district — glamorous but loaded with judgment
Casual
23
マジ まじ
"Seriously" / "for real" — the go-to intensifier in everyday Japanese
Casual
24
KY けーわい
Stands for 'Kuuki ga Yomenai' — someone who can't read the room.
Casual
25
空気読む くうきよむ
To read the room — sensing the unspoken mood and acting accordingly.
Casual
26
草 くさ
The Japanese "lol" — literally "grass," born from how "wwwww" looks like grass growing
Casual
27
コスパ こすぱ
Short for "cost performance" — means bang for your buck
Context
28
この野郎 このやろう
A heated insult meaning 'you bastard' — for real anger or joking between close friends.
Casual
29
コイツ こいつ
A rough way to say "this guy" or "this thing." Sounds blunt and can be rude depending on context.
Casual
30
貴様 きさま
A second-person pronoun familiar from anime. In modern Japanese, it's essentially a hostile insult.
Casual
31
キモい きもい
Short for 'kimochi warui' (gross/disgusting) — a blunt, high-damage insult
Casual
32
結構 けっこう
A versatile word meaning 'quite,' 'enough,' or 'no thank you' depending on context.
Context
33
陰キャ いんきゃ
Someone who's introverted and quiet — short for '陰気なキャラクター' (gloomy character).
Casual
34
一応 いちおう
Just in case' / 'sort of' — a hedge word that softens everything it touches.
Context
35
ググる ぐぐる
To google something. 'Gugutte' means 'look it up.'
Casual
36
ギリギリ ぎりぎり
Just barely, by the skin of your teeth — cutting it impossibly close.
Casual
37
ガチ がち
"Dead serious" / "legit" — like マジ but cranked up a notch
Casual
38
ガチャ がちゃ
From capsule toys to mobile games to life itself — the randomness-is-fate word
Casual
39
ドン引き どんびき
To be so put off by someone's behavior that you mentally recoil.
Casual
40
ディスる でぃする
To diss / trash-talk — from English "disrespect," turned into a Japanese verb
Casual
41
ボケ ぼけ
The funny one in a comedy duo — or a blunt way to call someone an idiot (especially common in Kansai as a light jab).
Casual
42
ブラック企業 ぶらっくきぎょう
A company that exploits its workers — long hours, no pay, toxic bosses
Casual
43
バズる ばずる
To go viral on social media. From the English word "buzz."
Casual
44
バカかっこいい ばかかっこいい
Synonymous with "super cool." Here, バカ (baka / "stupid") is not an insult — it works as a positive intensifier.
Casual