Compliments & Encouragement

Japanese slang for praising, encouraging, and hyping up friends

Introduction

Japanese has wonderfully creative ways to encourage and praise people. From calling someone 天才 (genius) to the all-purpose がんば (do your best), these words build people up in casual Japanese.

This chapter covers slang for complimenting, encouraging, and motivating others.

Themes

All Japanese Slang in This Chapter (80)

• すごすぎ Too amazing or beyond incredible — an intensified form of すごい used to express...
• がんば Go for it — a shortened, casual form of がんばって used to encourage someone.
• 流石 As expected of you — a compliment acknowledging that someone has performed up...
• つよつよ Super strong or elite-level — a playful reduplication of 強い used to praise ex...
• よわよわ Super weak — a playful reduplication of 弱い used for self-deprecation or gentl...
• かわいすぎ Too cute or overwhelmingly adorable — an intensified form of かわいい expressing ...
• 美しすぎる Too beautiful or stunningly gorgeous — a hyperbolic expression of beauty that...
• 素敵 Wonderful, lovely, or charming — a warm compliment used to express genuine ad...
• センスいい Good sense or great taste — a compliment praising someone's aesthetic judgeme...
• スタイルいい Great figure or physique — a compliment about someone's body proportions or o...
• 似合ってる It suits you or it looks great on you — a go-to compliment when someone's app...
• 頼りになる Reliable or dependable — someone you can count on when things get tough.
• 頼もしい Dependable or reassuringly strong — used to express that someone gives you co...
• 偉い Great job or well done — a compliment praising someone's effort, discipline, ...
• えらすぎ So admirable or you did amazingly — an intensified form of 偉い expressing stro...
• よく頑張った You worked really hard or well done — a heartfelt acknowledgement of someone'...
• お見事 Splendid or brilliantly done — an exclamation of admiration for an impressive...
• ベスト The best — a loanword used to declare something or someone as the absolute top.
• 王子 Prince — used as a nickname or compliment for a charming, handsome, or prince...
• 姫 Princess — used as a nickname or compliment for a cute, pampered, or particul...
• 玄人 Expert or pro — someone who really knows their stuff, with an implication of ...
• お手本 Role model or textbook example — someone or something that sets the standard ...
• 鬼かわいい Insanely cute — using 鬼 (demon/ogre) as an intensifier meaning 'crazy' or 'in...
• バケモノ Monster — used as a compliment for someone with freakishly extraordinary tale...
• 化け物 Monster — the kanji form emphasising unbelievable, almost supernatural skill ...
• 人間やめてる Quit being human — an extreme compliment meaning someone's abilities are so e...
• 覇王 Supreme ruler or dominant force — used to describe someone who dominates thei...
• 安定 Stable or consistently reliable — praise for someone or something that always...
• 安心感 Sense of security or reassuring presence — the feeling of comfort and safety ...
• 癒し Healing or soothing — someone or something that provides comfort and emotiona...
• 元気もらった You gave me energy or I'm cheered up — expressing that someone or something h...
• 勇気もらった You gave me courage — expressing that someone's words, actions, or example ha...
• 憧れ Aspiration or someone I look up to — expressing admiration for a person you w...
• 目標 Goal or target — used as a compliment meaning someone is your inspiration or ...
• 脱帽 I take my hat off to you — an expression of being so impressed that you figur...
• 感服 Deeply impressed or filled with admiration — a formal-feeling expression of g...
• 好き I like you/this — used freely in casual Japanese to express affection or enth...
• 大好き I love you/this — a stronger form of 好き expressing deep affection or enthusiasm.
• 沸いた I'm hyped or so excited right now — literally 'boiled over,' expressing overw...
• 感動した I'm moved or deeply impressed — expressing that something has touched you emo...
• 待ってた I've been waiting for this — an exclamation of excitement when something long...
• 大正解 Absolutely correct — emphatic validation that a choice or decision was perfec...
• 間違いない No doubt about it — a strong endorsement meaning something is guaranteed good...
• キュンです My heart skipped a beat — an expression of feeling a sudden pang of affection...
• ギャップ萌え Falling for someone's unexpected contrast — the charm felt when someone shows...
• 神ってる On a godlike streak — someone performing so miraculously well it seems divine.
• 天才かよ Are you a genius or what? — a rhetorical exclamation of admiration for someth...
• 顔面優勝 Face championship winner — someone so good-looking that their face alone take...
• 歩く芸術品 A walking work of art — someone whose appearance is so stunning they look lik...
• 美の暴力 Violence of beauty — someone so gorgeous it feels like an assault on your sen...
• 優しさの塊 A lump of pure kindness — someone who is nothing but gentle and considerate.
• リスペクトしかない Nothing but respect — expressing total admiration for someone's talent, effor...
• 感謝しかない Nothing but gratitude — overwhelmed with thankfulness, common in fan culture ...
• 無敵 Invincible — someone so dominant in their field or moment that nobody can tou...
• 国宝級 National treasure level — someone so precious or talented they should be desi...
• 規格外 Off the charts — literally outside specifications, someone whose talent excee...
• 唯一無二 One and only — completely unique and irreplaceable, with no second of their k...
• 別次元 Another dimension — someone operating on a completely different level from ev...
• 存在が優勝 Their very existence is a win — just being alive and present is enough to be ...
• 声がいい Great voice — a common compliment for streamers, VTubers, and voice actors th...
• オーラある Has an aura — someone who radiates star quality or charisma that you can phys...
• 華がある Has flower-like brilliance — someone who naturally stands out and draws all a...
• 努力の人 A person of effort — praising someone who achieved greatness through hard wor...
• 完全勝利 Complete victory — someone dominated so thoroughly there was no contest.
• 生きる伝説 Living legend — someone whose achievements are already legendary while they a...
• 格好良すぎ Way too cool — someone's appearance or actions are excessively attractive or ...
• バグレベル Bug-level — someone so talented or beautiful it seems like a glitch in reality.
• 沼しかない Nothing but a swamp — you can only fall deeper into obsession with this perso...
• 品がある Has class — someone who carries themselves with elegance and refinement.
• 底知れぬ才能 Unfathomable talent — someone whose abilities seem to have no limit or bottom.
• 逸材 Exceptional talent — a one-of-a-kind person whose abilities are outstanding a...
• 有能すぎ Too competent — someone who is impressively capable, often said with playful ...
• 本物 The real deal — someone who is genuinely talented, not just hype or surface-l...
• 育ちが良い Well-raised — a compliment for someone whose manners, speech, and behaviour s...
• 仕事が早い Works fast — a compliment for someone with an impressively quick turnaround o...
• 守備範囲広い Versatile — literally 'wide defensive range,' meaning good at many things.
• 頭いい Smart — a casual compliment for a clever approach, quick thinking, or general...
• 世界一 Best in the world — a hyperbolic declaration that someone or something is num...
• 圧巻 Spectacular — an overwhelmingly impressive performance or display that domina...
• 顔面偏差値高い High face score — objectively good-looking, as if measured by a standardised ...