Classic Slang (Still Used)

Introduction

Not all slang is new. Some Japanese slang terms have been around for decades and show no signs of fading. From ナンパ (hitting on someone) to ギャル (party girl), these classic terms are still part of everyday Japanese.

This chapter covers time-tested slang that has stood the test of time in Japanese.

Themes

All Japanese Slang in This Chapter (80)

1. ヤバい ヤバい Dangerous, risky, or sketchy — the original meaning of やばい before it also became a positive exclamation.
2. ナンパ ナンパ Hitting on someone or picking up strangers, typically men approaching women in public places.
3. ギャル ギャル A flashy, glamorous girl associated with bold fashion, tanned skin, and the gyaru subculture that peaked in the late 1990s-2000s.
4. 超 ちょう Super, extremely, or mega — a casual intensifier placed before adjectives, verbs, and nouns to crank up the emphasis.
5. ダルい ダルい Sluggish, lethargic, or tedious — the feeling of not wanting to do something because it is tiring or boring.
6. ノリ ノリ The vibe, energy, or momentum of a situation — and the willingness to go along with it.
7. 空気 くうき The atmosphere or unspoken mood of a situation — central to the Japanese concept of 'reading the air.'
8. すっぽかす すっぽかす To stand someone up or no-show on a commitment — deliberately or carelessly failing to show up.
9. ボケ ボケ The funny one in a comedy duo — the role that delivers absurd, silly, or off-the-wall remarks.
10. ツッコミ ツッコミ The straight man in a comedy duo — the role that reacts to, corrects, or retorts to the ボケ's absurdity.
11. ドジ ドジ Clumsy, ditzy, or accident-prone — someone who makes silly, careless mistakes.
12. シカト シカト Deliberately ignoring someone or giving them the cold shoulder — a pointed, silent rejection.
13. ハブる ハブる To exclude someone from a group or leave them out on purpose.
14. 逆ギレ ぎゃくギレ Getting angry at the person who rightfully called you out — flipping the blame when you are in the wrong.
15. チャラい チャラい Flashy, superficial, and player-ish — describes someone who seems frivolous or not serious, especially about relationships.
16. ビミョー ビミョー Meh, so-so, or underwhelming — a noncommittal way of saying something is not great without being directly negative.
17. ウソ ウソ No way! You're kidding! — an exclamation of disbelief, not an accusation of lying.
18. マジで マジで Seriously, for real, or no kidding — used to emphasise sincerity or express genuine surprise.
19. てか てか Actually, rather, or anyway — a conversation pivot word used to change the subject or redirect attention.
20. つーか つーか I mean, like, or well actually — a filler phrase used to rephrase, correct, or redirect a conversation.
21. ドハマり ドハマり Being deeply obsessed with or addicted to something — falling completely head over heels for a hobby, show, or interest.
22. サクッと サクッと Quickly, casually, or without fuss — getting something done briskly and efficiently.
23. ダメダメ ダメダメ Totally no good, completely useless, or hopeless — an emphatic doubling of ダメ for extra emphasis.
24. テキトー テキトー Half-assed, sloppy, or done without care — the ironic casual flip of the formal word meaning 'appropriate.'
25. のんびり のんびり Taking it easy, relaxed, and unhurried — doing things at a leisurely, stress-free pace.
26. まったり まったり Chilling out, being mellow, or spending time in a relaxed, unhurried way.
27. ブラブラ ブラブラ Strolling around aimlessly, wandering with nothing particular to do, or idling.
28. ガチンコ ガチンコ Dead serious, no-holds-barred, or for real — describes something done with full effort and no pretence.
29. パクる パクる To copy, rip off, or steal someone's idea, design, or work — intellectual theft in a casual register.
30. ダチ ダチ A close friend, pal, or buddy — a rough, masculine-sounding abbreviation of 友達.
31. ヤンキー ヤンキー A juvenile delinquent or rebellious tough kid — the Japanese archetype of the bleached-hair, motorcycle-riding troublemaker.
32. デカい デカい Huge, massive, or enormous — a casual, emphatic way to say something is really big.
33. ショボい ショボい Lame, pathetic, or underwhelming — used for things that fail to impress or fall short of expectations.
34. せこい せこい Cheap, stingy, or petty — describes someone who penny-pinches, cuts corners, or plays unfairly for small gains.
35. ケチ ケチ A cheapskate, tightwad, or miser — someone who is excessively reluctant to spend money.
36. ちょろい ちょろい Easy, a piece of cake, or a pushover — something or someone that is no challenge at all.
37. 余裕 よゆう Easy, no problem, or having plenty of room to spare — expressing confident ease about a task or situation.
38. 図々しい ずうずうしい Shameless, brazen, or thick-skinned — describes someone who pushes boundaries without embarrassment.
39. ノリが悪い ノリがわるい Being a buzzkill, killjoy, or party pooper — not going along with the group's energy or mood.
40. ドンマイ ドンマイ Don't worry about it, no problem — a quick, encouraging phrase to console someone who made a mistake.
41. キョドる キョドる Acting nervous and suspicious; being visibly awkward and fidgety in a situation.
42. ボッタクリ ボッタクリ A rip-off; being grossly overcharged for something that is not worth the price.
43. ガン見 がんみ Staring intensely at someone or something; giving a hard, unbroken stare.
44. ガン無視 がんむし Completely ignoring someone on purpose; giving someone the total cold shoulder.
45. 告る こくる To confess romantic feelings to someone; to make a love confession.
46. ノロケ ノロケ Gushing about your partner; humble-bragging about how great your relationship is.
47. ゲロる ゲロる To confess or spill the beans; to reveal a secret you were holding back.
48. パニクる パニクる To panic; to freak out and lose composure in a stressful situation.
49. ぐうたら ぐうたら A lazy bum; someone who lounges around doing nothing all day — a couch potato lifestyle.
50. オチ オチ The punchline of a joke or story; the payoff or conclusion that makes everything click.
51. アゲ アゲ Pumped up; hyped; in a high-energy, uplifting mood.
52. サゲ サゲ Bringing the mood down; being a downer; something that kills the vibe.
53. キャラ キャラ Your persona or character; the social role you play within a group.
54. いじる いじる Teasing someone playfully for laughs; ribbing or poking fun at someone in a group setting.
55. ヘタレ ヘタレ A coward or wimp; someone who chickens out when it matters most.
56. カッコいい かっこいい Cool; attractive; stylish — the go-to word for expressing admiration for someone or something's appearance or manner.
57. ずるい ずるい That's unfair! So lucky! — used to express playful jealousy or protest when someone has an unfair advantage.
58. やべぇ やべぇ A rougher, more masculine form of ヤバい — expressing shock, excitement, or that something is extreme.
59. ぱない ぱない Incredible; insane; off the charts — a shortened form of 半端ない expressing extreme amazement.
60. すげぇ すげぇ Amazing; wow; awesome — the rough, masculine form of すごい expressing strong admiration or surprise.
61. うまい うまい Delicious or skillful — a casual, male-leaning way to praise food or someone's ability.
62. かったるい かったるい Tiresome, tedious, or sluggish — a stronger, more emphatic version of だるい expressing deep reluctance or fatigue.
63. うっとうしい うっとうしい Annoying, irritating, or oppressive — used about both people and dreary weather.
64. タルい タルい Lazy, tedious, or can't be bothered — a 90s youth variation of だるい with a more dismissive edge.
65. おかしい おかしい Weird, funny, or suspicious — a versatile word that covers 'something's off' to 'that's hilarious.'
66. ヤバたん ヤバたん A cutesy, exaggerated form of ヤバい — adding the -たん suffix to make it sound adorable.
67. アツい あつい Fired up, passionate, or intense — not about temperature, but about someone's burning enthusiasm.
68. シュール シュール Surreal or absurdly funny — describing humour or situations that are bizarre in an amusing way.
69. アゲアゲ アゲアゲ Hyped up, pumped, in high spirits — a party-mode exclamation for when the energy is at maximum.
70. トンチキ トンチキ Lovably absurd or endearingly silly — used especially for idols doing ridiculous, entertaining things.
71. ゴリ押し ごりおし Forcing or aggressively pushing something through — using brute force rather than finesse.
72. クソデカ くそでか F***ing huge — a vulgar intensifier paired with 'big' for comedic or emphatic exaggeration.
73. クソワロ くそわろ LOL so hard, laughing my arse off — a vulgar, emphatic way to express intense laughter online.
74. 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.
75. チクる チクる To snitch, tattle, or grass on someone — reporting someone's wrongdoing to an authority figure.
76. しらける しらける To kill the mood, become awkward, or have the fun drain out of a situation.
77. ズボラ ズボラ Sloppy, lazy, or slovenly — used about someone whose lifestyle or habits are careless and untidy.
78. ナメる なめる To look down on, underestimate, or disrespect someone — treating them as beneath you.
79. ダメ出し だめだし Pointing out flaws or giving critical feedback — originally from theatre direction, now everyday Japanese.
80. マブい マブい Beautiful, stunning, or gorgeous — a retro 80s-90s slang word experiencing a nostalgic revival.