とりま

• Reading: とりま
• Romaji: torima
• Pronunciation: /to.ɾi.ma/

Meaning

For now, anyway, first of all — an abbreviation used to move conversation along.

A contracted form of とりあえず、まあ (toriaezu, mā — 'for now, well...'). Used as a conversation filler to mean 'anyway,' 'for starters,' or 'first of all.' Extremely common in casual youth speech and texting as a way to quickly transition to the next topic or suggest an immediate action without overthinking.

Examples

1. とりま集合してから決めよう。 Let's meet up first and then decide.
2. とりま写真撮ろ、映えるとこ見つけた。 Let's just take a pic for now — I found a photogenic spot.
3. 何食べるか迷うけどとりまカフェ入ろう。 Can't decide what to eat, but let's just hit a café for now.

Usage Guide

Context: friends, texting, casual conversation

Tone: casual, transitional, easygoing

Do Say

• とりま行ってみようよ (Let's just go for now)
• とりま落ち着こう (Let's calm down first anyway)

Don't Say

• プレゼンで「とりまこれ見てください」はNG (Saying 'torima, please look at this' in a presentation is inappropriate)

Common Mistakes

• Using it in any professional or semi-formal situation — it is very casual abbreviated slang
• Not knowing it comes from とりあえずまあ — the abbreviation is not obvious to non-native speakers

Origin & History

Abbreviated from とりあえず (toriaezu, 'for now/first of all') + まあ (mā, 'well'). Became widespread youth slang in the 2010s as a quick, casual way to say 'anyway' or 'for now.'

Cultural Context

Era: Early 2010s youth slang

Generation: Gen Z and young Millennials

Social background: Youth culture, universal casual speech

Regional notes: Used across Japan. One of the most established youth abbreviations, now over a decade old but still actively used.