ノロケ
Meaning: Gushing about your partner; humble-bragging about how great your relationship is.
ノロケ refers to someone enthusiastically talking about their partner or relationship in a way that comes across as showing off, even if unintentional. Listeners often find it both endearing and annoying — they are happy for the person but tired of hearing about it. The word can be used as a noun (ノロケ話, a lovey-dovey story) or as a verb (ノロケる, to gush about your partner).
Examples
- また彼氏のノロケ?もうお腹いっぱいだよ。 又秀恩爱?我已经听够了。¿Otra vez presumiendo de novio? Ya estoy hasta arriba.또 남자친구 자랑? 이제 충분해.
- ノロケ聞かされるの独り身にはきついわ。 单身狗被迫听别人秀恩爱真的很难受。Tener que escuchar cómo presumes de pareja es duro cuando estás soltero.연인 자랑 들으면 솔로 입장에서 좀 괴롭지.
- 本人はノロケてる自覚ないのがウケる。 本人完全没意识到自己在秀恩爱,真的很搞笑。Lo gracioso es que ni se da cuenta de que está presumiendo.본인이 자랑하고 있다는 자각이 없는 게 웃겨.
Pronunciation
/no.ɾo.ke/
Usage Guide
Context: friends, gossip, social media, group conversations
Tone: teasing, envious, amused
✓ Do Say
- ごめん、ノロケていい?昨日彼女にサプライズされてさ。 (Sorry, can I gush for a sec? My girlfriend surprised me yesterday.)不好意思,我能秀一下恩爱吗?昨天女朋友给了我一个惊喜。Perdona, ¿puedo presumir un momento? Mi novia me dio una sorpresa ayer.미안, 좀 자랑해도 돼? 어제 여자친구가 서프라이즈해 줬거든. (미안, 잠깐 자랑 좀 할게? 어제 여자친구가 깜짝 이벤트를 해줬어.)
- ノロケ話聞くの好きだよ、幸せそうで羨ましい。 (I like hearing lovey-dovey stories — you sound so happy, I'm jealous.)我挺喜欢听秀恩爱的,你看起来好幸福,真让人羡慕。Me gusta escuchar historias de pareja: se os ve tan felices que me dais envidia.연인 자랑 듣는 거 좋아, 행복해 보여서 부러워. (커플 자랑 이야기 듣는 거 좋아해 — 정말 행복해 보여서 부럽다.)
✗ Don't Say
- 失恋直後の人の前でノロケるのは無神経 (Gushing about your relationship in front of someone who just got dumped is insensitive)在刚失恋的人面前秀恩爱是很没神经的行为。Presumir de relación delante de alguien al que acaban de dejar es una falta de sensibilidad.실연 직후인 사람 앞에서 연인 자랑은 무신경한 거야 (방금 이별한 사람 앞에서 연인 자랑을 늘어놓는 건 배려 없는 행동이다)
Common Mistakes
- Thinking ノロケ is always unwelcome — among close friends it can be endearing, and some people genuinely enjoy hearing happy relationship stories
Origin & History
An older Japanese word with roots in the Showa era. Originally written as 惚気 (noroke), meaning to be intoxicated with love and talk about it openly. The katakana form ノロケ became more common in casual modern usage.
Cultural Context
Era: Showa era origin, still widely used
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. Japanese culture tends to value modesty, so openly gushing about your relationship can feel especially conspicuous and ノロケ-like.
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