沸く
Meaning: To be hyped up or to have excitement boiling over — describes a state of intense excitement or a crowd going wild.
Literally meaning 'to boil,' 沸く is used in slang to describe excitement reaching a boiling point. It can refer to a crowd going wild at a concert, fans losing their minds over news, or personal excitement bubbling over. Often used in the form 沸いた (waita, 'I was hyped') or 会場が沸いた (kaijō ga waita, 'the venue went wild'). Very common in fan and entertainment culture.
Examples
- 推しがサプライズ登場して会場が沸いた。 推(偶像)突然惊喜登场,全场直接沸腾了。Mi ídolo apareció por sorpresa y el público enloqueció.최애가 서프라이즈 등장해서 회장이 열광했어.
- コラボ発表にオタクが全員沸いてた。 联动消息一出,粉丝们全都嗨翻了。Con el anuncio de la colaboración, todos los fans se volvieron locos.콜라보 발표에 오타쿠들이 전부 열광하고 있었어.
- あのゴールで観客席が一気に沸いたね。 那个进球一进,观众席瞬间炸了。Con ese gol, la grada estalló de golpe.그 골에 관중석이 단번에 들끓었지.
Pronunciation
/wa.kɯ/
Usage Guide
Context: fan communities, sports, social media, concerts
Tone: excited, hyped, energetic
✓ Do Say
- 新曲のMV公開されて沸いてる! (The new song's music video dropped and I'm hyped!)新歌MV放出来了,嗨翻了!(新歌MV公开了,我兴奋到不行!)Han sacado el videoclip de la nueva canción y estoy eufórico.신곡 뮤직비디오 공개돼서 열광 중!
- あのシーンでライブ会場めっちゃ沸いたよね。 (The venue went absolutely wild at that moment in the concert.)演唱会上那个场面,全场一下子就沸腾了吧。(演唱会上那一幕,现场气氛直接炸裂了。)El recinto se volvió completamente loco en ese momento del concierto.그 장면에서 라이브 회장 완전 들끓었잖아.
✗ Don't Say
- ネガティブな興奮には使わない — 沸くはポジティブな盛り上がり専用 (Don't use 沸く for negative excitement — it is specifically for positive hype and enthusiasm)沸く不用于负面的激动——它专门用来形容正面的、积极的兴奋和热情No uses 沸く para emociones negativas — es exclusivamente para entusiasmo y euforia positiva.부정적인 흥분에는 사용하지 않는다 — 沸く는 긍정적인 열광과 열정에만 사용하는 표현
Common Mistakes
- Using 沸く for calm happiness — it specifically implies intense, bubbling-over excitement, not quiet contentment
Origin & History
From the standard verb 沸く (waku, to boil/bubble up). The metaphor of excitement 'boiling' was applied to crowds and emotional states. Has been used in sports commentary for decades but expanded to internet and fan culture in the 2010s.
Cultural Context
Era: Sports usage older, fan/internet slang from 2010s
Generation: 10s-30s, fan communities and sports fans
Social background: Fan culture, sports culture, general youth slang
Regional notes: Used across Japan. Extremely common in idol/anime fan communities and sports viewing contexts.
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