Cowabunga
Meaning: An exclamation of excitement or triumph, especially before doing something bold or daring.
Cowabunga is an exuberant shout associated with California surf culture. You yell it while catching a wave, jumping off something, or doing anything thrilling. It was made famous by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the 1980s-90s but has deeper roots in surf and skate culture. It captures the pure joy of adrenaline and adventure.
Examples
- Cowabunga! He just sent it off the biggest jump on the mountain. Cowabunga!他刚从山上最大的跳台飞出去了。¡Cowabunga! Se acaba de lanzar desde el salto más grande de la montaña.カワバンガ!あいつ山で一番大きなジャンプから飛んだぞ。카와붕가! 걔가 산에서 제일 큰 점프대에서 날았어.
- The kid yelled cowabunga and cannonballed into the pool. 那个孩子大喊cowabunga,然后炮弹式跳进了泳池。El chaval gritó cowabunga y se tiró de bomba a la piscina.その子はカワバンガって叫んでプールに飛び込んだ。그 아이가 카와붕가 하고 소리치고 풀장에 폭탄 다이빙했어.
- Every surfer has yelled cowabunga at least once in their life. 每个冲浪者一生中至少都喊过一次cowabunga。Todo surfista ha gritado cowabunga al menos una vez en su vida.サーファーなら人生で一度はカワバンガって叫んだことがあるはず。서퍼라면 인생에서 한 번쯤은 카와붕가라고 외쳐봤을 거야.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: excitement, surfing, adventure, jumping
Tone: exuberant, playful
✓ Do Say
- Cowabunga, dude!Cowabunga,伙计!¡Cowabunga, tío!カワバンガ、デュード!카와붕가, 듀드!
- She yelled cowabunga and dove into the ocean.她大喊cowabunga然后跳进了大海。Gritó cowabunga y se lanzó al océano.彼女はカワバンガって叫んで海に飛び込んだ。걔가 카와붕가 외치고 바다에 뛰어들었어.
✗ Don't Say
- Cowabunga is intentionally over-the-top — using it in calm situations misses the pointCowabunga本身就是夸张的表达——在平静的场合使用就失去了意义Cowabunga es intencionadamente exagerado — usarlo en situaciones tranquilas no tiene sentidocowabungaは意図的にオーバーな表現——穏やかな状況で使うとポイントがずれる카와붕가는 의도적으로 과장된 표현이다——차분한 상황에서 쓰면 본래 의미가 사라진다
Origin & History
Originally appeared on 'The Howdy Doody Show' in the 1950s, then adopted by California surfers in the 1960s. Made globally famous by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise in the late 1980s, where Michelangelo used it as his catchphrase.
Cultural Context
Era: 1960s
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
Regional notes: California surf culture — globally known via TMNT
More From This Topic
More from Regional: California
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