Abbreviations & Contractions

概要

この章では「Abbreviations & Contractions」に関わる日本語スラングをひとまとまりで扱います。会話やSNS、ポップカルチャーでよく見かける表現を、意味だけでなく温度感まで含めてつかむための章です。

直訳では見えにくいノリや感情の強さにも注目しながら、自然な使われ方を読み取っていきましょう。

テーマ

この章のJapanese Slang (80)

1. JK ジェーケー Abbreviation of 女子高生 (joshi kōsei), meaning female high school student. One of the most widely recognized Japanese abbreviations.
2. GJ グッジョブ Abbreviation of 'good job,' used online and in casual text to praise someone's effort or achievement.
3. りょ りょ Ultra-short abbreviation of 了解 (ryōkai, 'understood/roger that'), used in text messages to quickly acknowledge something.
4. あけおめ あけおめ Abbreviated form of あけましておめでとう (akemashite omedetō, 'Happy New Year'), used in casual New Year greetings.
5. スマホ スマホ Abbreviated form of スマートフォン (sumāto fon, 'smartphone'). The standard everyday word for smartphone in Japanese.
6. コンビニ コンビニ Abbreviated form of コンビニエンスストア (konbiniensu sutoa, 'convenience store'). The standard everyday word for Japan's ubiquitous convenience st...
7. パソコン パソコン Abbreviated form of パーソナルコンピューター (pāsonaru konpyūtā, 'personal computer'). The standard everyday word for PC in Japanese.
8. メアド メアド Abbreviated form of メールアドレス (mēru adoresu, 'mail address/email address'). Used to refer to someone's email address.
9. アプリ アプリ Abbreviated form of アプリケーション (apurikēshon, 'application'). The standard word for smartphone or computer apps.
10. バイト バイト Part-time job. Abbreviated from アルバイト (arubaito), which itself comes from the German word 'Arbeit' (work).
11. ファミレス ファミレス Abbreviated form of ファミリーレストラン (famirī resutoran, 'family restaurant'). Refers to casual chain restaurants like Denny's, Gusto, and Saize...
12. デパ地下 デパちか Abbreviated form meaning 'department store basement' — the gourmet food halls found in the basement floors of Japanese department stores.
13. コスプレ コスプレ Abbreviated form of コスチュームプレイ (kosuchūmu purei, 'costume play'). Dressing up as characters from anime, manga, games, or other media.
14. リモート リモート Shortened from リモートワーク (rimōto wāku, 'remote work'). Refers to working from home or outside the office.
15. スタバ スタバ Abbreviated nickname for Starbucks (スターバックス). The universally used casual name for the coffee chain in Japan.
16. マクド マクド Abbreviated nickname for McDonald's (マクドナルド), primarily used in the Kansai region. Contrasts with マック used in Kanto.
17. プレゼン プレゼン Abbreviated form of プレゼンテーション (purezentēshon, 'presentation'). Used in both business and academic contexts.
18. ディスる ディスる To disrespect, diss, or trash-talk someone. A verb formed by combining English 'diss/disrespect' with the Japanese verb suffix る.
19. サボる サボる To skip, slack off, or play hooky. A verb formed from the French/English word 'sabotage' combined with the Japanese verb suffix る.
20. ネカフェ ネカフェ Abbreviated form of ネットカフェ (netto kafe, 'internet café'). Refers to Japanese internet/manga cafés with private booths.
21. リスケ リスケ Abbreviated form of リスケジュール (risukejūru, 'reschedule'). Used to propose or announce a schedule change.
22. アラサー アラサー Abbreviated from 'around thirty' (アラウンドサーティー), referring to people approximately 27-33 years old.
23. アラフォー アラフォー Abbreviated from 'around forty' (アラウンドフォーティー), referring to people approximately 37-43 years old.
24. ドタキャン ドタキャン A last-minute cancellation — canceling plans at the very last moment. Combines 土壇場 (dotanba, 'the last moment') and キャンセル (kyanseru, 'can...
25. インスタ インスタ Abbreviated nickname for Instagram (インスタグラム). The universally used casual name for the platform in Japan.
26. マック マック Abbreviated nickname for McDonald's (マクドナルド), primarily used in the Kanto region and most of Japan outside Kansai.
27. ネトフリ ネトフリ Abbreviated nickname for Netflix (ネットフリックス). The casual name for the streaming service in Japan.
28. ユーチューバー ユーチューバー Japanese adaptation of 'YouTuber' — a person who creates and posts videos on YouTube as a career or hobby.
29. プチプラ プチプラ Abbreviated from 'petit price' (プチプライス), meaning affordable/budget-friendly fashion, cosmetics, or accessories that still look good.
30. デコる デコる To decorate something elaborately, especially phone cases, nails, accessories, or personal items. Formed from 'decorate' plus the Japanes...
31. ぼっち ぼっち Being alone or being a loner. Shortened from 一人ぼっち (hitori bocchi, 'all alone').
32. ニート ニート Japanese adoption of the English acronym NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training). Refers to a young person who is not working, s...
33. フリーター フリーター A person who works a series of part-time or temporary jobs rather than having full-time employment. Coined from 'free' and 'Arbeiter' (Ge...
34. ブラック企業 ブラックきぎょう An exploitative company that overworks employees, pays poorly, or has abusive management — a 'black company' or sweatshop employer.
35. ホワイト企業 ホワイトきぎょう A good, ethical company to work for — the opposite of ブラック企業. Characterized by fair pay, reasonable hours, and good work-life balance.
36. ムリゲー ムリゲー An impossible game; by extension, any hopeless or unwinnable situation in real life. Combines 無理 (muri, 'impossible') and ゲー (from ゲーム, '...
37. クソゲー クソゲー A crappy, terrible, or poorly made game. Combines クソ (kuso, 'crap/damn') and ゲー (from ゲーム, 'game'). Sometimes used endearingly.
38. インフルエンサー インフルエンサー Japanese adaptation of 'influencer' — a person with significant social media following who can influence purchasing decisions and trends.
39. ファンサ ファンサ Abbreviated from ファンサービス (fan sābisu, 'fan service'). Refers to idols or celebrities acknowledging, waving at, or interacting with indivi...
40. プロフ プロフ Abbreviated form of プロフィール (purofīru, 'profile'). Refers to a user profile on social media, dating apps, or any online platform.
41. グルチャ グルチャ Group chat — an abbreviation of グループチャット used to refer to group messaging conversations on LINE or other apps.
42. レスバ レスバ An online argument or flame war conducted through replies, abbreviation of レスバトル (reply battle).
43. ガクチカ ガクチカ What you worked hard on or devoted yourself to during college — a key concept in Japanese job hunting (就活).
44. テレビ テレビ Television — the universally used Japanese abbreviation of テレビジョン, now the standard word for TV.
45. アニキ アニキ Big bro — a term of respect and affection for an older male figure, whether a literal older brother or someone you look up to.
46. リア充 リアじゅう Someone who is fulfilled and thriving in real life, especially in terms of romance, social life, and real-world activities.
47. エンカ エンカ An encounter — running into someone in real life, especially someone you know from online or gaming.
48. ロケハン ロケハン Location hunting or scouting — visiting places in advance to check their suitability for filming, photography, or events.
49. ゲネプロ ゲネプロ A dress rehearsal — a full run-through of a performance in costume and with all production elements, from German 'Generalprobe.'
50. リア事 リアごと Real-life matters or obligations — things happening in your actual life as opposed to online activities or hobbies.
51. あざまる あざまる A cute, abbreviated way of saying 'thank you' — shortened from ありがとうございます with a playful twist.
52. おつまる おつまる A cute, abbreviated way of saying 'good work' or 'thanks for your effort' — shortened from お疲れ様 with a playful twist.
53. ちなみ ちなみ Shortened form of ちなみに (by the way/incidentally) — used casually to introduce a tangential remark.
54. タヒる タヒる Internet slang for 'to die' or 'I'm dying' — derived from decomposing the kanji 死 into the katakana タヒ to bypass content filters.
55. メリクリ メリクリ Abbreviated form of メリークリスマス (Merry Christmas) — a casual holiday greeting.
56. テンプレ テンプレ Template — something formulaic, predictable, or following a standard pattern. Also used literally for document templates.
57. イケボ イケボ A hot or attractive voice — abbreviation of イケメンボイス, describing someone whose voice is cool, deep, or appealing.
58. カワボ カワボ A cute or adorable voice — abbreviation of カワイイボイス, describing someone whose voice sounds sweet and charming.
59. トプ画 トプが Profile picture — abbreviation of トップ画像, referring to the main image on a social media account.
60. ワンオペ育児 ワンオペいくじ Solo parenting — raising children single-handedly, typically because a partner is absent due to work or other circumstances.
61. ドンキ ドンキ Abbreviation of ドン・キホーテ (Don Quijote), Japan's iconic discount variety store chain.
62. セカスト セカスト Abbreviation of 2nd STREET (セカンドストリート), a popular secondhand shop chain in Japan.
63. コラボカフェ コラボカフェ A collaboration cafe — a themed pop-up or permanent cafe based on anime, manga, games, or other intellectual properties.
64. タメ語 タメご Casual or informal speech — the opposite of keigo (polite language), used among equals and close friends.
65. パワスポ パワスポ Power spot — a place believed to have spiritual energy, good vibes, or healing properties.
66. シネコン シネコン Cinema complex — a multiplex movie theatre with multiple screens, abbreviated from シネマコンプレックス.
67. ボカロ ボカロ Vocaloid — synthesised singing voice software and the music/culture surrounding it, abbreviated from ボーカロイド.
68. バリキャリ バリキャリ A career-driven woman who works intensely — combining バリバリ (vigorously) and キャリア (career).
69. ミスド ミスド Abbreviation of ミスタードーナツ (Mister Donut), the popular doughnut chain in Japan.
70. マツキヨ マツキヨ Abbreviation of マツモトキヨシ, one of Japan's largest drugstore chains.
71. アラフィフ アラフィフ Around fifty years old — describing someone in their late 40s to early 50s.
72. ラブホ ラブホ Love hotel — a type of short-stay hotel designed for couples, abbreviated from ラブホテル.
73. セルカ セルカ Selfie — derived from 'self camera,' entering Japanese primarily through Korean influence (셀카).
74. ユニバ ユニバ Abbreviation of Universal Studios Japan (USJ), the popular theme park in Osaka.
75. スノピ スノピ Abbreviation of Snow Peak (スノーピーク), the premium Japanese outdoor brand.
76. アフター アフター After-party or post-event gathering — going somewhere to socialise after the main event ends.
77. タメ口 タメぐち Casual speech register used with equals and close friends — synonymous with タメ語, the opposite of keigo.
78. オフパコ オフパコ Hooking up with someone you met online — meeting offline for a sexual encounter.
79. アニオタ アニオタ Anime otaku — someone deeply devoted to anime, abbreviated from アニメオタク.
80. ジャニオタ ジャニオタ A Johnny's (now STARTO) fan/otaku — someone deeply devoted to idols from the former Johnny & Associates agency.