切り抜き

• Reading: きりぬき
• Romaji: kirinuki
• Kanji breakdown: 切り (kiri, cutting, from 切る) + 抜き (nuki, extracting, from 抜く) → cutting out / clipping
• Pronunciation: /ki.ri.nu.ki/

Meaning

A clip or highlight extracted from a longer video, livestream, or broadcast, often shared as standalone content on YouTube.

Literally meaning 'cutting out,' 切り抜き refers to the practice of extracting interesting, funny, or notable moments from long-form content (especially livestreams) and uploading them as short standalone videos. In Japan, 切り抜きチャンネル (clip channels) are a major part of YouTube culture, especially for VTuber and streamer content. The person who makes clips is called a 切り抜き師 (kirinukishi). Many creators actively encourage 切り抜き as it helps spread their content to new audiences.

Examples

1. 配信見逃したから切り抜きで追いかけてる。 I missed the stream so I'm catching up through clips.
2. この切り抜き面白すぎて何回も見ちゃう。 This clip is so funny I've watched it multiple times.
3. 切り抜き師のおかげで長い配信も見やすくなるよね。 Thanks to clippers, even long streams become easy to watch.

Usage Guide

Context: YouTube, VTuber culture, streaming, social media

Tone: appreciative, informational

Do Say

• 切り抜き動画から推しを知った。 (I discovered my favorite creator through a clip.)
• 3時間の配信を切り抜きで10分にまとめてくれてありがたい。 (I'm grateful they condensed a 3-hour stream into a 10-minute clip.)

Don't Say

• 許可なく他人の配信を切り抜いて収益化する (Don't monetize clips of others' streams without permission — it can cause problems)

Common Mistakes

• Not understanding that 切り抜き has become its own content genre, not just a technical term for video editing
• Confusing 切り抜き (content clips) with the crafting meaning of 切り抜き (paper cutouts)

Origin & History

From the verb 切り抜く (kirinuku, to cut out/clip). The internet meaning of extracting clips from longer videos became widespread in the late 2010s with the growth of VTuber and streaming culture on YouTube.

Cultural Context

Era: Late 2010s-2020s with VTuber and streaming culture

Generation: Millennials and Gen Z

Social background: YouTube and streaming viewers

Regional notes: Used across Japan. Japan's VTuber industry heavily relies on 切り抜き culture for content discovery and audience growth.