SNS & Internet Slang

Introduction

Japanese internet culture has produced some of the most creative slang online. From 草 (grass = LOL) to 炎上 (going up in flames = getting cancelled), these terms dominate Twitter/X, YouTube comments, and online forums.

This chapter covers the slang born from Japanese internet culture — essential for understanding online Japanese.

Themes

All Japanese Slang in This Chapter (80)

1. 草 くさ The Japanese internet equivalent of 'LOL,' used to express amusement or laughter online.
2. w ダブリュー The letter 'w' appended to the end of text to indicate laughter, equivalent to 'lol.' Multiple w's (www, wwwww) indicate stronger amusement.
3. ネタバレ ネタバレ A spoiler — revealing key plot points, twists, or endings of movies, anime, manga, games, or other media before someone has experienced t...
4. バズる バズる To go viral on social media, gaining massive attention, shares, and engagement in a short period of time.
5. 炎上 えんじょう An online firestorm where someone receives overwhelming negative attention, criticism, or backlash on social media.
6. アンチ アンチ A hater or anti-fan who actively criticizes, trolls, or spreads negativity about a person, group, or content creator.
7. フォロバ フォロバ Follow back — the act of following someone on social media who already follows you.
8. リプ リプ A reply to someone's post on Twitter/X or other social media platforms.
9. RT アールティー Retweet or repost — sharing someone else's post to your own timeline so your followers can see it.
10. いいね いいね Like — the standard social media reaction of tapping a heart or thumbs-up button to show approval or appreciation for a post.
11. タグ付け タグつけ Tagging — mentioning or linking someone's account in a social media post or photo so they receive a notification.
12. 鍵垢 かぎあか A private or locked social media account where posts are only visible to approved followers.
13. 裏垢 うらあか A secret or anonymous alt account used separately from one's main public account, often for posting unfiltered or private thoughts.
14. 本垢 ほんあか One's main or primary social media account, as opposed to alt or sub accounts.
15. サブ垢 サブあか A secondary or sub account used alongside one's main account, often dedicated to specific interests or communities.
16. 垢バン あかバン Having one's account banned or suspended by a platform for violating terms of service.
17. 垢消し あかけし Deleting one's social media account, often done impulsively after drama, embarrassment, or as a fresh start.
18. エゴサ エゴサ Ego-searching — the act of searching for your own name, username, or work online to see what others are saying about you.
19. スクショ スクショ Screenshot — a captured image of what is displayed on a phone or computer screen.
20. タイムライン タイムライン Timeline or feed — the scrolling stream of posts displayed on social media platforms like Twitter/X.
21. TL ティーエル Timeline — an abbreviation of タイムライン, referring to the main feed on Twitter/X or other social media.
22. 浮上 ふじょう Surfacing online — appearing on social media or in group chats after a period of absence or inactivity.
23. 低浮上 ていふじょう Being rarely online or having low social media activity, often announced as a status update to followers.
24. ツイ廃 ツイはい A Twitter addict who posts obsessively and spends excessive time on the platform.
25. インスタ映え インスタばえ Instagram-worthy — something that looks photogenic and aesthetically pleasing enough to make a great Instagram post.
26. 盛れる もれる To look better than reality in photos, typically thanks to good angles, lighting, or filters making you look attractive.
27. 加工 かこう Photo editing or filtering — digitally enhancing photos to improve appearance before posting on social media.
28. ストーリー ストーリー Stories — the ephemeral photo or video posts on Instagram, LINE, or other platforms that disappear after 24 hours.
29. リール リール Reels — short-form vertical videos on Instagram, typically featuring music, trends, or creative content similar to TikTok.
30. ショート ショート Shorts — short-form vertical videos on YouTube, typically under 60 seconds.
31. 切り抜き きりぬき A clip or highlight extracted from a longer video, livestream, or broadcast, often shared as standalone content on YouTube.
32. まとめ まとめ A summary, compilation, or roundup post that aggregates information, reactions, or content about a specific topic.
33. コピペ コピペ Copy-paste — text that is copied and pasted repeatedly, often referring to viral copypasta or template messages circulated online.
34. ネタ ネタ Content material, a joke, or source material for humor — anything that serves as fodder for entertainment, memes, or conversation online.
35. ミーム ミーム A meme — a viral joke format, image template, catchphrase, or concept that spreads and evolves across internet communities.
36. ネットスラング ネットスラング Internet slang — informal language, abbreviations, and expressions used in online communication.
37. オフ会 オフかい An offline meetup where people who know each other from the internet meet face-to-face for the first time.
38. DM ディーエム Direct message — a private message sent to someone on social media, separate from public posts or comments.
39. 既読スルー きどくスルー Being left on read — when someone reads your message (shown by the read receipt) but deliberately does not reply.
40. 既読無視 きどくむし Ignoring a message after reading it — essentially the same as 既読スルー but with a stronger nuance of deliberate disregard.
41. 未読スルー みどくスルー Intentionally not opening a message to avoid showing a read receipt — a step beyond leaving someone on read.
42. スタンプ スタンプ A sticker or stamp used in LINE messaging — large illustrated images that convey emotions, reactions, or humor in chat.
43. ガチ恋距離 ガチこいきょり An extremely close-up camera angle used by streamers or idols, as if the viewer is face-to-face with a romantic partner.
44. 投げ銭 なげせん A monetary tip or donation given to a performer or streamer during a live broadcast — the Japanese equivalent of tipping online.
45. スパチャ スパチャ Abbreviation of Super Chat — a paid highlighted message on YouTube livestreams that gets pinned and read by the streamer.
46. メンシ メンシ Short for メンバーシップ (membership) — a paid subscription to a streamer or content creator's channel for exclusive perks.
47. 同接 どうせつ Abbreviation of 同時接続 — the number of concurrent viewers watching a livestream at the same time.
48. 配信 はいしん A livestream or broadcast — the act of streaming content live to an online audience.
49. 生配信 なまはいしん A live broadcast or real-time stream — emphasizing that the content is happening right now, not pre-recorded.
50. アーカイブ アーカイブ A saved recording of a livestream that viewers can watch after the broadcast ends.
51. コラボ コラボ A collaboration between two or more content creators, streamers, or brands — often a joint stream or project.
52. 案件 あんけん Sponsored content or a paid promotion deal — when a creator is paid by a company to feature their product or service.
53. サムネ サムネ Abbreviation of サムネイル (thumbnail) — the preview image for a video, article, or stream.
54. サブスク サブスク Abbreviation of サブスクリプション — a subscription service, especially for streaming media, software, or digital content.
55. ポチる ポチる To click-buy something online, especially an impulse purchase — the act of pressing the 'buy' button.
56. ググる ググる To google something — to search for information online using a search engine.
57. タグる タグる To search by hashtag on social media — specifically browsing content through tag-based discovery.
58. ブロック ブロック To block someone on social media or messaging apps, preventing them from contacting you or seeing your content.
59. ミュート ミュート To mute someone on social media — hiding their posts from your timeline without unfollowing or blocking them.
60. 晒す さらす To publicly expose or shame someone online by sharing their personal information, screenshots, or embarrassing content.
61. 特定 とくてい The act of identifying or doxxing someone online — tracking down their real identity, location, or personal details from online clues.
62. 凸する とつする To raid, barge into, or unexpectedly join someone's livestream — often uninvited or as a surprise.
63. 荒らし あらし A troll or griefer who deliberately disrupts online communities, chat rooms, or livestreams.
64. 釣り つり Bait or clickbait — content designed to lure reactions, clicks, or arguments from unsuspecting people online.
65. マジレス マジレス A serious, earnest reply to something that was meant as a joke or is not worth taking seriously.
66. ネット民 ネットみん Internet users or netizens — the collective online population, often referenced as a group with shared behaviors.
67. ROM専 ロムせん A lurker — someone who only reads content without posting, commenting, or participating actively.
68. 過疎 かそ Dead, inactive, or deserted — used to describe an online community, chat, or server with very little activity.
69. 過密 かみつ Overcrowded or too active — used for an online space, server, or chat that is overwhelmingly busy.
70. ディスコ ディスコ Discord — the abbreviated way Japanese internet users refer to the Discord chat platform.
71. 鯖 さば Server — internet slang using the kanji for mackerel fish because サバ sounds like 'server' abbreviated.
72. 通知 つうち A notification or push alert from an app, social media platform, or messaging service.
73. 拡散希望 かくさんきぼう Please share/retweet/spread the word — a request to help information reach a wider audience on social media.
74. トレンド トレンド A trending topic on social media — something currently popular or widely discussed online.
75. おすすめ おすすめ The 'recommended' or 'for you' page on social media platforms — content curated by the algorithm based on your activity.
76. アルゴリズム アルゴリズム The algorithm — the system that determines what content appears in your social media feed, especially the recommendation engine.
77. タイパ タイパ Time performance — the efficiency or value gained relative to the time invested, used to evaluate whether something is worth your time.
78. コスパ コスパ Cost performance — the value or quality you get relative to the price paid, essentially 'bang for your buck.'
79. ファボ ファボ A like or favorite on social media — from the old Twitter 'favorite' (star) button before it became a heart.
80. バズツイ バズツイ A viral tweet — a post that has blown up with massive likes, retweets, and attention.