カッコいい

• 読み: かっこいい
• ローマ字: kakkoii
• 発音: /kak.ko.iː/

意味

Cool; attractive; stylish — the go-to word for expressing admiration for someone or something's appearance or manner.

カッコいい (also written as 格好いい or かっこいい) is one of the most fundamental and widely used Japanese expressions. It can describe a person's looks, fashion, behaviour, skills, or even objects like cars and buildings. While it literally means 'good appearance,' its usage extends far beyond physical attractiveness to encompass anything that evokes admiration or coolness. It crossed from casual speech to mainstream in the 1980s.

例文

1. あの人めっちゃカッコいいんだけど、誰？
2. その車カッコいいね、新しく買ったの？
3. カッコいいこと言ってるけど行動が伴ってないよね。

使い方ガイド

場面: friends, dating, fashion, entertainment, everyday life

トーン: admiring, enthusiastic, complimentary

正しい言い方

• カッコいい生き方してるよね、尊敬するわ。 (You live such a cool life — I really respect that.)
• その髪型カッコいいね、似合ってるよ。 (That hairstyle looks cool on you — it really suits you.)

避ける言い方

• 女性に「カッコいい」は文脈次第 — 褒め言葉にもなるが「可愛くない」と受け取られることも (Calling a woman カッコいい depends on context — it can be a compliment but may be taken as 'not cute')

よくある間違い

• Limiting カッコいい to physical appearance — it is used equally for behaviour, skills, objects, ideas, and lifestyles that inspire admiration

起源と歴史

From 格好 (kakkō, appearance/form) + いい (ii, good). Originally standard Japanese meaning 'good-looking,' it became a cornerstone slang expression in the 1980s as youth culture adopted it as the primary word for 'cool.' Now fully mainstream across all generations.

文化的背景

時代: 1980s mainstream adoption, now universal

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal

地域メモ: Used absolutely everywhere in Japan. One of the first Japanese words many foreigners learn. The feminine counterpart is カワイイ (cute), though the gender associations of both terms are evolving.