We’ll introduce you to Japanese slang. Try using it in conversations and chatting with friends.
Be careful not to use it on official occasions…
Sympathy・Reaction
1. それな / わかる
[so re na / wa ka ru] ≒ I think so too / That’s it / I know
“それな” is one of the most commonly used slang among young people in Japan.
And “わかる” means “I understand how you feel” or “I understand what you said”.
A：仕事行きたくないわ… (I don’t want to go to work…)
B：それな〜 / わかる〜
2. まじ？ / がち？
[ma ji / ga chi] ≒ Are you being legit?
It has a nuance of “I can’t believe it”. To be a little more polite, “ほんとに？”.
These are often wrritten in hiragana.
A：彼女にフラれちゃったよ… (I got dumped by my girlfriend…)
B：え、がち？
3. いいね / あり
[i i ne] ≒ Sounds good
Like(♡) on SNS is written as “いいね” in Japan.
And “あり” has a nuance of “70-90% agree”.
A：今週末お寿司食べに行かない？(Do you want to eat Sushi this weekend?)
B：いいね！ / あり！
Adverb
1. めっちゃ / めちゃくちゃ / めちゃ
[me ccha / me cha ku cha / me cha] ≒ totally / very
“めっちゃ” is one of the most commonly used slang in Japan. Other than young person also use this word.
And “めちゃ” is often used in chat.
A：見て！昨日かわいい服買ったんだ〜 (Look! I bought cute clothes yesterday.)
B：めっちゃかわいい！
2. かなり
[ka na ri] ≒ quite / pretty
“かなり” is almost synonymous with “めっちゃ”.
If anything, “かなり” is more formal than “めっちゃ”.
A：彼が明日遅刻しないか心配だね… (I’m worried he won’t be late tomorrow…)
B：かなり不安…
3. わんちゃん
[wa n cha n] ≒ probably / maybe
“わんちゃん” comes from “One Chance”, but it means “probably” or “maybe”.
This is wrritten in both hiragana and katakana.
A：私たち終電に乗れるかな？ (Can we catch the last train?)
B：わんちゃん乗れる！(Maybe we can!)
Adjective
1. えぐい
[e gu i] ≒ Nasty
“Nasty” has a negative meaning, but “えぐい” has both positive and negative meaning.
In case “えぐい” is used in good ways, it has a nuance of “amazing!” or “awesome!”.
A：大谷選手のサインもらったよ！！(I got Otani’s autograph!!)
B：それはえぐい！
2. よき
[yo ki] ≒ Good / Nice
This comes from an archaic word “よきかな” that means “good”.
However “よき” is now also a youth language.
A：先生へのプレゼントはネクタイでいいかな？(Do you think a tie is a good present for our teacher?)
B：よき。
3. やばい
[ya ba I] ≒ fucking / gosh / amazing
“やばい” has both positive and negative meaning.
This is a useful slang that can be used in any nuance.
A：ねえ！このバッグ半額だって！(Look! This bag is half tha price!)
B：やば！<positive>
A：あ！宿題忘れた… (Omg! I forgot my homework… )
B：やば！ <negative>
4. エモい
[e mo i] ≒ emotional / nostalgic / sentimental
This is a coined word composed of “emo” from “emotional” and “い” for adjectiveization.
■What makes ous feel “エモい” when we see it ?
Ex 1：An elementary school that we graduated from a few decades ago
Ex 2：Sunset over the sea
Verb
1. ググる
[gu gu ru] ＝ Google it
This is a coined word composed of “ググ” from “Google(グーグル)” and “る” for verbization.
A：これ、なんていう花？(What kind of flower is this?)
B：ググるわ。
2. ディスる
[di su ru] ＝ Diss
This is a coined word composed of “ディス” from “disrespect(ディスリスペクト)” and “る” for verbization.
A：君の手料理は意外と美味しいね(笑) (Your home cooking is unexpectedly good lol)
B：ディスってる？(Are you dissing me?)
3. ジワる
[ji wa ru] ≒ getting funnier and funnier / gradually makes me laugh
This is a coined word composed of “ジワ” from “ジワジワ(≒gradually)” and “る” for verbization.
A：亀の散歩してるあの人、うちの上司じゃない？(Isn’t that person walking the turtle our boss?)
B：え、ジワる
Noun
1. パリピ
[pa ri pi] ≒ Party people
“パリピ” is short for “Party people(パーリーピーポー)”.
People who are simply flashy may also be called “パリピ”.
A：俺、今日も明日もクラブ行くわ (I’m gonna go to club today and tomorrow.)
B：パリピじゃん
2. インスタ映え / 映え
[i n su ta ba e / ba e] ≒ Instgrammable / Photogenic
This is a coined word composed of “インスタ” that is short for “Instagram(インスタグラム)” and “映え” that means “Photogenic”.
A：このカフェすごくおしゃれだね！(This cafe is so cool!)
B：“映え”だね
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