Classic Slang (Still Used)

Older Japanese slang that remains widely understood and used today

Introduction

Not all slang is new. Some Japanese slang terms have been around for decades and show no signs of fading. From ナンパ (hitting on someone) to ギャル (party girl), these classic terms are still part of everyday Japanese.

This chapter covers time-tested slang that has stood the test of time in Japanese.

Themes

All Japanese Slang in This Chapter (80)

• ヤバい Dangerous, risky, or sketchy — the original meaning of やばい before it also bec...
• ナンパ Hitting on someone or picking up strangers, typically men approaching women i...
• ギャル A flashy, glamorous girl associated with bold fashion, tanned skin, and the g...
• 超 Super, extremely, or mega — a casual intensifier placed before adjectives, ve...
• ダルい Sluggish, lethargic, or tedious — the feeling of not wanting to do something ...
• ノリ The vibe, energy, or momentum of a situation — and the willingness to go alon...
• 空気 The atmosphere or unspoken mood of a situation — central to the Japanese conc...
• すっぽかす To stand someone up or no-show on a commitment — deliberately or carelessly f...
• ボケ The funny one in a comedy duo — the role that delivers absurd, silly, or off-...
• ツッコミ The straight man in a comedy duo — the role that reacts to, corrects, or reto...
• ドジ Clumsy, ditzy, or accident-prone — someone who makes silly, careless mistakes.
• シカト Deliberately ignoring someone or giving them the cold shoulder — a pointed, s...
• ハブる To exclude someone from a group or leave them out on purpose.
• 逆ギレ Getting angry at the person who rightfully called you out — flipping the blam...
• チャラい Flashy, superficial, and player-ish — describes someone who seems frivolous o...
• ビミョー Meh, so-so, or underwhelming — a noncommittal way of saying something is not ...
• ウソ No way! You're kidding! — an exclamation of disbelief, not an accusation of l...
• マジで Seriously, for real, or no kidding — used to emphasise sincerity or express g...
• てか Actually, rather, or anyway — a conversation pivot word used to change the su...
• つーか I mean, like, or well actually — a filler phrase used to rephrase, correct, o...
• ドハマり Being deeply obsessed with or addicted to something — falling completely head...
• サクッと Quickly, casually, or without fuss — getting something done briskly and effic...
• ダメダメ Totally no good, completely useless, or hopeless — an emphatic doubling of ダメ...
• テキトー Half-assed, sloppy, or done without care — the ironic casual flip of the form...
• のんびり Taking it easy, relaxed, and unhurried — doing things at a leisurely, stress-...
• まったり Chilling out, being mellow, or spending time in a relaxed, unhurried way.
• ブラブラ Strolling around aimlessly, wandering with nothing particular to do, or idling.
• ガチンコ Dead serious, no-holds-barred, or for real — describes something done with fu...
• パクる To copy, rip off, or steal someone's idea, design, or work — intellectual the...
• ダチ A close friend, pal, or buddy — a rough, masculine-sounding abbreviation of 友達.
• ヤンキー A juvenile delinquent or rebellious tough kid — the Japanese archetype of the...
• デカい Huge, massive, or enormous — a casual, emphatic way to say something is reall...
• ショボい Lame, pathetic, or underwhelming — used for things that fail to impress or fa...
• せこい Cheap, stingy, or petty — describes someone who penny-pinches, cuts corners, ...
• ケチ A cheapskate, tightwad, or miser — someone who is excessively reluctant to sp...
• ちょろい Easy, a piece of cake, or a pushover — something or someone that is no challe...
• 余裕 Easy, no problem, or having plenty of room to spare — expressing confident ea...
• 図々しい Shameless, brazen, or thick-skinned — describes someone who pushes boundaries...
• ノリが悪い Being a buzzkill, killjoy, or party pooper — not going along with the group's...
• ドンマイ Don't worry about it, no problem — a quick, encouraging phrase to console som...
• キョドる Acting nervous and suspicious; being visibly awkward and fidgety in a situation.
• ボッタクリ A rip-off; being grossly overcharged for something that is not worth the price.
• ガン見 Staring intensely at someone or something; giving a hard, unbroken stare.
• ガン無視 Completely ignoring someone on purpose; giving someone the total cold shoulder.
• 告る To confess romantic feelings to someone; to make a love confession.
• ノロケ Gushing about your partner; humble-bragging about how great your relationship...
• ゲロる To confess or spill the beans; to reveal a secret you were holding back.
• パニクる To panic; to freak out and lose composure in a stressful situation.
• ぐうたら A lazy bum; someone who lounges around doing nothing all day — a couch potato...
• オチ The punchline of a joke or story; the payoff or conclusion that makes everyth...
• アゲ Pumped up; hyped; in a high-energy, uplifting mood.
• サゲ Bringing the mood down; being a downer; something that kills the vibe.
• キャラ Your persona or character; the social role you play within a group.
• いじる Teasing someone playfully for laughs; ribbing or poking fun at someone in a g...
• ヘタレ A coward or wimp; someone who chickens out when it matters most.
• カッコいい Cool; attractive; stylish — the go-to word for expressing admiration for some...
• ずるい That's unfair! So lucky! — used to express playful jealousy or protest when s...
• やべぇ A rougher, more masculine form of ヤバい — expressing shock, excitement, or that...
• ぱない Incredible; insane; off the charts — a shortened form of 半端ない expressing extr...
• すげぇ Amazing; wow; awesome — the rough, masculine form of すごい expressing strong ad...
• うまい Delicious or skillful — a casual, male-leaning way to praise food or someone'...
• かったるい Tiresome, tedious, or sluggish — a stronger, more emphatic version of だるい exp...
• うっとうしい Annoying, irritating, or oppressive — used about both people and dreary weather.
• タルい Lazy, tedious, or can't be bothered — a 90s youth variation of だるい with a mor...
• おかしい Weird, funny, or suspicious — a versatile word that covers 'something's off' ...
• ヤバたん A cutesy, exaggerated form of ヤバい — adding the -たん suffix to make it sound ad...
• アツい Fired up, passionate, or intense — not about temperature, but about someone's...
• シュール Surreal or absurdly funny — describing humour or situations that are bizarre ...
• アゲアゲ Hyped up, pumped, in high spirits — a party-mode exclamation for when the ene...
• トンチキ Lovably absurd or endearingly silly — used especially for idols doing ridicul...
• ゴリ押し Forcing or aggressively pushing something through — using brute force rather ...
• クソデカ F***ing huge — a vulgar intensifier paired with 'big' for comedic or emphatic...
• クソワロ LOL so hard, laughing my arse off — a vulgar, emphatic way to express intense...
• しらんけど I dunno though — a Kansai-origin disclaimer tacked onto statements to dodge r...
• チクる To snitch, tattle, or grass on someone — reporting someone's wrongdoing to an...
• しらける To kill the mood, become awkward, or have the fun drain out of a situation.
• ズボラ Sloppy, lazy, or slovenly — used about someone whose lifestyle or habits are ...
• ナメる To look down on, underestimate, or disrespect someone — treating them as bene...
• ダメ出し Pointing out flaws or giving critical feedback — originally from theatre dire...
• マブい Beautiful, stunning, or gorgeous — a retro 80s-90s slang word experiencing a ...