Relationships & Dating

Japanese slang for love, dating, friendships, and social dynamics

Introduction

Japanese dating culture has spawned a rich vocabulary of slang. From 沼る (falling into an obsession) to 匠わせ (subtle flexing about a relationship), these words capture the drama and excitement of modern Japanese romance.

This chapter covers slang related to relationships, dating, and social dynamics in Japan.

Themes

All Japanese Slang in This Chapter (79)

• 匂わせ Subtly hinting at a romantic relationship on social media without explicitly ...
• マッチングアプリ A dating app used to find romantic partners, such as Pairs, Tapple, or with.
• 出会い系 A hookup or dating site/app, often carrying a slightly shady or sleazy connot...
• 脈あり Having a chance with someone romantically; showing signs of mutual interest o...
• 脈なし Having no chance with someone romantically; no signs of interest or attractio...
• フラれる To get rejected or dumped by someone, whether after confessing feelings or du...
• 告白 A love confession — directly telling someone you have romantic feelings for t...
• 両思い Mutual feelings between two people — both parties like each other romantically.
• 片思い One-sided love or an unrequited crush — having romantic feelings for someone ...
• 束縛 Being possessive or controlling in a romantic relationship, such as checking ...
• ヤキモチ Jealousy in a romantic context — feeling envious or insecure when your partne...
• 浮気 Cheating on a romantic partner or having an affair — being unfaithful in a re...
• 二股 Two-timing — secretly dating or being involved with two people at the same time.
• 好きバレ When your crush finds out that you like them, usually before you intended to ...
• 友達以上恋人未満 More than friends but not yet lovers — a relationship that has surpassed frie...
• いい感じ Things are going well between two people — there's a good vibe or positive ch...
• 付き合う To go out with someone — to officially start dating or be in a romantic relat...
• 別れる To break up with someone — to end a romantic relationship.
• 元カレ Ex-boyfriend — a former male romantic partner.
• 元カノ Ex-girlfriend — a former female romantic partner.
• 復縁 Getting back together with an ex — reconciling and resuming a romantic relati...
• 未練 Lingering attachment or unresolved feelings for an ex or a past situation — t...
• 草食系 Herbivore type — a person (usually male) who is passive, gentle, and unassert...
• 肉食系 Carnivore type — a person who is aggressive, bold, and proactive in romantic ...
• ロールキャベツ系 Roll cabbage type — someone who looks gentle and passive on the outside but i...
• 小悪魔 Little devil — a flirtatious, teasing person (usually female) who charms othe...
• 天然 Naturally airheaded or innocently clueless — someone who says or does funny t...
• 壁ドン Slamming one's hand against a wall to corner someone romantically — a dramati...
• 顎クイ Tilting someone's chin up with your hand to look into their eyes — a romantic...
• 頭ポンポン Patting someone on the head affectionately — a romantic or caring gesture oft...
• ハグ A hug — embracing someone, typically in a romantic or emotional context.
• チュー A kiss — a cute, casual way to say kissing, often used playfully.
• イチャイチャ Being lovey-dovey or physically flirty with a partner — cuddling, touching, a...
• ラブラブ Madly in love — describing a couple who is extremely affectionate and obvious...
• お揃い Matching items — especially couples wearing matching outfits, accessories, or...
• 記念日 An anniversary or commemorative date — especially monthly or yearly relations...
• サプライズ A surprise — especially a planned romantic gesture like a surprise birthday p...
• 親友 A best friend or very close friend — someone you trust deeply and share a str...
• マブダチ A true, real best friend — slang for someone who is genuinely your closest, m...
• 合コン A group blind date or social mixer — an organized gathering where single men ...
• 街コン A large-scale matchmaking event organized in a city or neighborhood where str...
• 婚活 Marriage hunting — the active pursuit of finding a marriage partner through o...
• 恋活 Actively seeking a romantic partner — similar to 婚活 but focused on finding a ...
• 好き避け Avoiding someone precisely because you have feelings for them — acting cold o...
• ツレ A close friend, partner, or companion — can refer to a romantic partner or a ...
• 相方 One's partner or other half — used for a romantic partner, a best friend, or ...
• ワンナイト A one-night stand — a sexual encounter with someone you don't intend to see a...
• セフレ Friends with benefits — a sexual relationship without romantic commitment.
• ヤリモク Someone whose only purpose for using a dating app or attending social events ...
• 本命 The one you truly like — your serious romantic interest, as opposed to casual...
• キープ Keeping someone as a backup romantic option — stringing someone along while p...
• 写真詐欺 Photo fraud — when someone looks significantly different in person from their...
• スペック A person's specs or stats — their measurable attributes like income, height, ...
• 3高 The three highs — the ideal male partner criteria from the bubble era: tall (...
• 推せる彼氏 A boyfriend worth 'stanning' — a partner so attractive, talented, or charming...
• 沼彼 A boyfriend you're obsessively addicted to — someone you can't stop thinking ...
• ダメ男 A no-good guy or loser boyfriend — a man who is unreliable, unemployed, unfai...
• 距離感バグ Having a 'bugged' sense of personal distance — someone who gets too close too...
• 病み垢 A 'dark account' — a separate social media account used for posting depressiv...
• メッセ A message — abbreviation commonly used for messages exchanged on dating apps ...
• プロフィール写真 Profile picture — specifically one's photo on a dating app or social media, w...
• 愚痴垢 A venting account — a separate social media account dedicated to complaining ...
• メンヘラ彼女 An emotionally unstable girlfriend — a partner with mental health issues who ...
• ヤンデレ彼氏 An obsessively possessive boyfriend — a partner whose love turns into control...
• 相互フォロー Mutual follow — when two people follow each other on social media, often seen...
• 推し婚 Marrying someone who resembles or reminds you of your oshi (favorite idol/cha...
• 犬系彼氏 A puppy-like boyfriend — a partner who is loyal, affectionate, eager to pleas...
• 猫系彼女 A cat-like girlfriend — a partner who is independent, aloof, moody, and affec...
• ペアーズ Pairs — Japan's largest and most well-known dating app, sometimes used generi...
• マッチング Getting matched on a dating app — the moment when two users mutually indicate...
• 顔合わせ The first face-to-face meeting — specifically when people who connected onlin...
• フェードアウト Gradually ghosting someone — slowly reducing contact and fading out of a rela...
• ソロ活 Solo activities — the lifestyle trend of actively enjoying things alone by ch...
• お持ち帰り Taking someone home — a euphemism for bringing someone back to your place for...
• ガチ告 A serious, genuine love confession — as opposed to a joke confession or a cas...
• 地雷女 A landmine woman — someone who seems fine on the surface but has hidden red f...
• あざと可愛い Calculatedly cute — being charming or adorable in a clearly deliberate and st...
• サブい彼氏 A lame or cringy boyfriend — a partner whose jokes, behavior, or fashion sens...
• 重い Too clingy or emotionally heavy in a relationship — being overly intense, nee...