し Japanese Slang

Browse 73 Japanese Slang entries for Japanese under し.

Kana し

  1. ショック ショック An expression of being shocked or devastated by unexpected bad news — used as both a noun and an emotional exclamation.
  2. しんどい しんどい Exhausted, tough, or emotionally draining — describes physical or mental fatigue and hardship.
  3. 職人 しょくにん Craftsman or artisan — used as praise for someone who shows meticulous, master-level skill and dedication to their craft.
  4. 秀逸 しゅういつ Outstanding, excellent. Used to praise work that stands head and shoulders above the rest in quality or cleverness.
  5. しょうもない しょうもない Worthless, pointless, or stupid — dismisses something as not worth anyone's time or attention.
  6. 知ったかぶり しったかぶり Know-it-all — someone who pretends to know something they actually don't, putting on an act of knowledge.
  7. ショート ショート Shorts — short-form vertical videos on YouTube, typically under 60 seconds.
  8. しか勝たん しかかたん X is the only winner, nothing beats X — an emphatic declaration that something is the absolute best.
  9. 知らんけど しらんけど I don't actually know though — a disclaimer added after stating an opinion or information to avoid responsibility.
  10. 主人公 しゅじんこう Main character energy — having a protagonist moment where you feel like the star of your own story.
  11. シネコン シネコン Cinema complex — a multiplex movie theatre with multiple screens, abbreviated from シネマコンプレックス.
  12. 承知しました しょうちしました A very formal way of saying 'acknowledged' or 'understood' — sometimes used ironically in casual texting for humorous effect.
  13. 〜してる してる Casual contraction of 〜している (doing something) — the standard casual progressive form used in everyday texting.
  14. 新規 しんき A newcomer or new fan who has recently joined a fandom or community.
  15. CP シーピー Couple or ship pairing — the romantic pairing of two characters that fans support and create content about.
  16. 島中 しまなか A smaller doujin circle placed in the middle rows at Comiket — the standard position for most participating circles.
  17. シクシク しくしく Sobbing or weeping quietly with genuine sadness.
  18. シャキッと しゃきっと Crisp, alert, and pulled together — snapping to attention or having a sharp, fresh quality.
  19. 親友 しんゆう A best friend or very close friend — someone you trust deeply and share a strong bond with.
  20. 写真詐欺 しゃしんさぎ Photo fraud — when someone looks significantly different in person from their heavily edited or carefully angled photos, especially on da...
  21. 食レポ しょくレポ A food review or tasting report, especially on TV, YouTube, or social media where someone describes the taste and experience of eating.
  22. シメ シメ The final meal eaten to cap off a night of drinking — typically ramen, ochazuke, or udon.
  23. 食テロ しょくテロ Posting mouthwatering food photos late at night on social media, torturing hungry viewers — 'food terrorism.'
  24. 社畜 しゃちく A corporate slave — someone who works excessively long hours with blind loyalty to their company, sacrificing personal life.
  25. 終身雇用 しゅうしんこよう The lifetime employment system where employees work at one company from graduation until retirement.
  26. 就活 しゅうかつ Job hunting activities by university students — the structured process of seeking employment before graduation.
  27. 静かな退職 しずかなたいしょく Quiet quitting — doing only the bare minimum required at work without going above and beyond.
  28. 心理的安全性 しんりてきあんぜんせい Psychological safety — the belief that you can speak up, make mistakes, and share ideas without fear of punishment or humiliation at work.
  29. CC爆撃 シーシーばくげき CC-bombing — the practice of adding excessive numbers of people to the CC field of emails, flooding inboxes unnecessarily.
  30. 指定校推薦 していこうすいせん A university admission system where specific high schools receive reserved recommendation slots for their students.
  31. 修学旅行 しゅうがくりょこう A school field trip or class excursion, typically a multi-day trip to another city or region.
  32. 新歓 しんかん Welcome party or orientation events for new university students, hosted by clubs and circles to recruit members.
  33. 出席カード しゅっせきカード An attendance card submitted during university lectures to prove you were present in class.
  34. 仕送り しおくり Money sent from parents to support a student living away from home — a financial lifeline for many university students.
  35. 奨学金 しょうがくきん Scholarship — though in Japan, this word most commonly refers to student loans that must be repaid after graduation.
  36. 秀才キャラ しゅうさいキャラ The 'smart kid' persona or role within a friend group — the person everyone expects to be academically brilliant.
  37. 出席ピッ しゅっせきピッ The act of tapping your student IC card on a reader to register attendance — named after the beep sound it makes.
  38. シカト シカト Deliberately ignoring someone or giving them the cold shoulder — a pointed, silent rejection.
  39. ショボい ショボい Lame, pathetic, or underwhelming — used for things that fail to impress or fall short of expectations.
  40. シュール シュール Surreal or absurdly funny — describing humour or situations that are bizarre in an amusing way.
  41. しらんけど しらんけど I dunno though — a Kansai-origin disclaimer tacked onto statements to dodge responsibility for accuracy.
  42. しらける しらける To kill the mood, become awkward, or have the fun drain out of a situation.
  43. シアー シアー Sheer; semi-transparent fabric or finish used in fashion and beauty for a soft, ethereal look.
  44. 衝動買い しょうどうがい Impulse buying; making an unplanned purchase driven by sudden desire rather than need.
  45. シェアハウス シェアハウス Shared housing where residents rent individual rooms but share common spaces like kitchen, living room, and bathroom.
  46. 借金 しゃっきん Debt; money that is borrowed and owed — carries a heavy social stigma in Japan.
  47. 新NISA しんニーサ Japan's revamped tax-free investment account system launched in 2024, generating massive buzz among young investors.
  48. ショートスリーパー ショートスリーパー A short sleeper; someone who functions well on very little sleep, typically under 5-6 hours.
  49. 歯列矯正 しれつきょうせい Orthodontic treatment; getting braces or aligners to straighten teeth, a major trend among young adults.
  50. 初回盤 しょかいばん First-press limited edition release; a special initial pressing with bonus content.
  51. 主題歌 しゅだいか The main theme song of a movie, drama, or anime — the signature musical piece associated with the work.
  52. 縛りプレイ しばりプレイ A challenge run where the player imposes extra rules or restrictions on themselves, such as no damage, no upgrades, or specific character...
  53. 初見 しょけん First-time viewer or player — used to announce that you are watching a stream or playing a game for the first time, experiencing it blind.
  54. 初見殺し しょけんごろし A trap or mechanic in a game designed to kill or punish first-time players who have no way of seeing it coming.
  55. 周回 しゅうかい Grinding — repeatedly running through the same stage, quest, or dungeon to farm items, materials, or experience.
  56. 失礼します しつれいします Excuse me — a polite phrase used when entering or leaving a room, interrupting, or excusing oneself.
  57. 仕方ない しかたない It can't be helped; there's nothing we can do about it — a resigned acceptance of circumstances beyond one's control.
  58. しょうがない しょうがない Can't be helped — the casual, everyday version of 仕方ない, used constantly in spoken Japanese.
  59. 終活 しゅうかつ End-of-life planning — preparing for death by organising one's affairs, possessions, and funeral wishes while still healthy.
  60. 正月ボケ しょうがつボケ New Year's brain fog — the sluggish, unfocused state people experience when returning to work or school after the holiday break.
  61. 精進 しょうじん Devotion, diligent self-improvement, and persistent effort — a Buddhist concept now used casually to mean 'I'll keep working hard.'
  62. しきたり しきたり Unwritten customs and traditions passed down through generations — the 'this is how it's always been done' social rules.
  63. 仕事が早い しごとがはやい Works fast — a compliment for someone with an impressively quick turnaround on tasks.
  64. 守備範囲広い しゅびはんいひろい Versatile — literally 'wide defensive range,' meaning good at many things.
  65. 仕様 しよう Specification or 'it's by design' — used humorously to dismiss a bug or problem as an intentional feature.
  66. 初期化 しょきか Factory reset; wiping everything back to its original state — used for devices, apps, and humorously for one's own memory or mental state.
  67. 車中泊 しゃちゅうはく Sleeping in your car — spending the night in a vehicle during road trips or as budget travel.
  68. 始発 しはつ The first train of the day — the earliest departure, typically around 4:30-5:30 AM.
  69. 終電 しゅうでん The last train of the night — the final departure, and a crucial deadline in Japanese social life.
  70. 終電逃した しゅうでんのがした Missed the last train — a dreaded situation that forces you to find alternative ways home.
  71. 死んだ しんだ I'm dead — used figuratively to express being overwhelmed by laughter, shock, embarrassment, or exhaustion.
  72. 死亡フラグ しぼうフラグ Death flag — an omen or statement that foreshadows something bad happening, from anime and gaming tropes.
  73. 正直 しょうじき Honestly or to be frank — a sentence opener signalling that the speaker is about to share a candid, possibly uncomfortable opinion.