キョドる
Meaning: Acting nervous and suspicious; being visibly awkward and fidgety in a situation.
キョドる describes someone whose nervousness is obvious from their body language — darting eyes, fidgeting, stammering, or generally looking like they have something to hide. It comes from 挙動不審 (kyodō fushin, suspicious behaviour), shortened and turned into a verb. The word is used both to describe genuine anxiety and to tease someone for being unnecessarily jumpy.
Examples
- 好きな子の前だとキョドるのマジでやめたい。 在喜欢的人面前就紧张得不行,真想改掉。Quiero dejar de ponerme tan nervioso delante de la chica que me gusta.좋아하는 애 앞에서 안절부절못하는 거 진짜 그만하고 싶어.
- 面接でキョドりすぎて全然ダメだった。 面试的时候太慌张了,完全发挥不好。En la entrevista me puse tan nervioso que fue un desastre total.면접에서 너무 안절부절해서 완전 망했다.
- なんでそんなキョドってんの?何か隠してる? 你怎么那么心虚的样子?是不是藏了什么?¿Por qué estás tan inquieto? ¿Estás ocultando algo?왜 그렇게 안절부절하는 거야? 뭔가 숨기고 있어?
Pronunciation
/kʲo.do.ɾɯ/
Usage Guide
Context: friends, school, dating, internet
Tone: teasing, observational
✓ Do Say
- 初デートでキョドりすぎて相手に引かれた。 (I was so visibly nervous on my first date that I put the other person off.)第一次约会紧张到不行,结果把对方吓跑了。Estuve tan visiblemente nervioso en la primera cita que espanté a la otra persona.첫 데이트에서 너무 안절부절해서 상대가 질렸어. (첫 데이트에서 너무 쩔쩔매서 상대방이 질렸다.)
- プレゼンでキョドらないように練習しなきゃ。 (I need to practise so I don't act all jittery during the presentation.)得好好练习,免得做演示的时候慌里慌张的。Tengo que ensayar para no ponerme como un flan durante la presentación.발표에서 안절부절하지 않게 연습해야 해. (프레젠테이션에서 쩔쩔대지 않도록 연습해야 해.)
✗ Don't Say
- 目上の人に「キョドってますね」は失礼 (Telling a superior 'you're acting suspicious' is rude — it implies they look untrustworthy)对上级说'您看起来好慌张'很失礼——这等于暗示他们看起来不可信Decirle a un superior 'parece usted sospechoso' es una falta de respeto, ya que implica que no es de fiar.윗사람에게 '안절부절하시네요'라고 하면 실례다 (윗사람에게 '수상하게 행동하시네요'라고 하면 무례하다 — 믿을 수 없는 사람처럼 보인다는 뜻이 된다)
Common Mistakes
- Confusing キョドる with simply being shy — キョドる specifically implies the nervousness is visible and suspicious-looking, not just quiet introversion
Origin & History
Derived from 挙動不審 (kyodō fushin, meaning suspicious behaviour), shortened to キョド and turned into a verb with the る suffix. Became popular in the 2000s as internet and youth culture embraced abbreviated verb forms.
Cultural Context
Era: 2000s, from internet abbreviation culture
Generation: Teens to 30s
Social background: Universal
Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. Common in online communities and school settings where teasing about social awkwardness is frequent.
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