陰キャ営業
Meaning: Deliberately performing or exaggerating an introverted persona — putting on an act of being shy, awkward, or antisocial.
陰キャ営業 uses the business term 営業 (sales/marketing) to describe the act of 'selling' an introverted image. This might mean downplaying your social skills, claiming to be a loner, or acting more awkward than you really are. It is often done for relatability on social media, to seem more humble, or to fit in with a particular friend group. The concept emerged from awareness that personality presentation is often performative, especially online where everyone curates their image.
Examples
- あいつ陰キャ営業してるけど実はめっちゃ友達多いよね。 那家伙在搞阴角营业,其实朋友超多的吧。Ese tío se hace el introvertido, pero en realidad tiene un montón de amigos.걔 아싸인 척하고 있지만 사실 친구 엄청 많잖아.
- 陰キャ営業して「コミュ障です」って言ってるのバレバレだから。 搞阴角营业说什么「我有社交恐惧症」,大家都看穿了好吗。Se nota mucho que estás haciéndote el introvertido diciendo «es que no sé socializar».아싸 영업하면서 「나 소통 장애야」라고 하는 거 다 들키거든.
- SNSで陰キャ営業するのが最近のトレンドっぽい。 在社交媒体上搞阴角营业好像是最近的潮流。Parece que hacerse el introvertido en redes sociales es la última tendencia.SNS에서 아싸 영업하는 게 요즘 트렌드인 것 같아.
Pronunciation
/iɴ.kja.eː.gjoː/
Usage Guide
Context: friends, social media, university
Tone: accusatory, teasing
✓ Do Say
- それ絶対陰キャ営業でしょ、友達100人いるくせに。 (That's definitely a fake introvert act — you have 100 friends.)你这绝对是阴角营业吧,明明有一百个朋友。Eso es puro teatro de introvertido, si tienes cien amigos.그거 완전 아싸 영업이지, 친구 100명이나 있으면서.
- 陰キャ営業やめて素の自分出した方がモテるよ。 (You'd be more popular if you dropped the introvert act and showed your real self.)别搞阴角营业了,展示真实的自己反而更受欢迎。Serías más popular si dejases de hacerte el introvertido y mostrases tu verdadero yo.아싸 영업 그만하고 진짜 모습 보여주는 게 더 인기 있을 거야.
✗ Don't Say
- 本当に人見知りの人に「陰キャ営業でしょ」は傷つく (Accusing a genuinely shy person of faking it is hurtful)对真的很怕生的人说「你这是阴角营业吧」会伤害到人家Acusar a alguien genuinamente tímido de estar fingiendo es hiriente.진짜 낯을 가리는 사람에게 「아싸 영업이지?」라고 하는 건 상처가 된다
Common Mistakes
- Assuming everyone who claims to be introverted is doing 陰キャ営業 — the term specifically means performing introversion, not being genuinely introverted
Origin & History
Compound of 陰キャ (introvert character type) + 営業 (business/sales). The 営業 metaphor (meaning 'performing a persona as if selling it') became popular in the late 2010s, applied to various personality performances like ぶりっ子営業 and 陽キャ営業.
Cultural Context
Era: Late 2010s, tied to social media persona culture
Generation: Teens to 20s
Social background: Common among social media-active youth
Regional notes: Used across Japan, primarily online and among university-age youth. Part of a broader trend of analysing personality performance.
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