Living Japanese Slang Dictionary

This dictionary is a summary of all the terms I’ve reviewed in my slang reviews over the years. Clicking a word will link to a blog post that discusses the word and its etymology/origin, history, and use in more detail. The dictionary is not intended to contain all slang in the history of Japanese, but mainly terms not covered in English elsewhere. FAQ

A・あ・か・さ・た・な

は・ま・や・ら・わ・#

A-Z行

BBA (ばばあ, ビービーエー)
Type: Noun
Meaning: An older woman, used both as joking self-depreciation and as a term of abuse

Example: 突然不良にBBAと呼ばれてかなりショックだった。(Some punk called me an old hag and I was shocked.)

B解 (びーかい)
Type: Noun, verb via +する
Meaning: To block someone and then unblock them on social media, either to cause them to unfollow you (similar to a “soft block” in English), or to cause a mutual follower to unfollow you when you unfollow them (considered more polite than a one-sided removal).

Example: これはBTS担垢なので、BTSと関係ないフォロワーをB解する場合があります。ご理解ください。(This is BTS-focused account so I sometimes block-unblock followers who aren’t BTS related. Thanks for your understanding.)

DQN (ドキュン・でぃーきゅーえん)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Dumbass, idiot, especially an inconsiderate one

Example: この学校なんてDQN学生ばっかりで嫌だ。(This school is full of morons and I hate it.)

Ghostship (ゴーストシップ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: To “ship” two characters who are not officially couples, also called a 非公式カプ (ひこうしきかぷ) or 幻想カプ (げんそうかぷ). Sometimes written in katakana too.

Example: A君とB君は私のGhostshipだ (I ghostship A and B).

GKBR (ガクブル・ゴキブリ)
Type: Reaction, な adjective, noun
Meaning 1: Scared, shaking with fear

Example: 地震だったかな？gkbr (Was that an earthquake? Scary.)

Meaning 2: Cockroach

Example: gkbrだったかな？gkbr (Was that a cockroach? Scary.)

GRWM (ジーアルダブリューエム・ゲットレディーウィスミー)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Get ready with me, video where someone goes through their morning routine

Example: 皆さん！新しいGRWM動画をアップしたので是非みてください! (Everyone, I uploaded a new GRWM video so please watch!)

HSHS (ハスハス)
Type: Reaction, noun, verb via +する
Meaning 1: To be excited or horny, especially due to scent

Example: 彼の筋肉見てhshs (I saw his muscles and lost my breath)

Meaning 2: To bury your head in something and sniff it deeply

Example: 猫をhshsすると癒される (Nuzzling my nose into my cat and sniffing deeply calms me [see 猫吸い]).

KPする (けーぴー・かんぱい)
Type: Verb
Meaning 1: Cheers!

Example: はい、これでKPするぜ！ (Alright, let’s cheers!)

Meaning 2: To act as dungeon master (in an RPG)

Example: KPするとき、たまにプレーヤーを助けるために自分が転がしたサイコロの目の数を密かに減らす。(When I DM, sometimes I lower the results of my dice to help out the players.)

KS (ケーエス)
Type: Noun, Verb via +する
Meaning 1: Being left on read, someone reading your message and not responding

Example: 先週メールしたのにまだKSだよ！(I sent the mail last week but I’m still on read!)

Meaning 2: Kill steal

Example: おい沼、KSするな (Hey noob don’t kill steal)

Meaning 3: Dumbass

Example: しらないの？GGRKS (You don’t know? Google it dumbass.)

KSK (かそく or ケーエスケー)
Type: Noun
Meaning 1: Used to move a thread along or fill it with spam

Example: 「レスが１００超えたら皆に秘密を言う。」「ksk」「ksk」「ksk」「ksk」「ksk」「ksk」「ksk」「ksk」「ksk」「ksk」「ksk」
(“When this gets 100 responses I’ll tell you all a secret!” “response” “response” “response” “response” “response” “response”)

Meaning 2: Marry me please

Example: 僕とKSK (Please marry me)

KWSK (くわしく)
Type: Response, adverb
Meaning 1: Explain with detail or, in adverb form, with detail

Example: KSWK説明してください (Please explain in detail)

Meaning 2: Used as shorthand for “my details”

Example: kswk: このリンクを踏んで (For details: click this link)

LJC (エルジェーシー・ラストじょしこうせい)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A girl in their final year of junior high school

Example: 今LJCだから来年JKになる。(I’m a girl in my last year of JHS so next year I’ll be a high school girl.)

MH (エムエーチ)
Type: Noun, Verb via +する
Meaning: Ignoring a message without reading it or not answering any messages

Example: 元カノからのSMSが届いたけどこのままMHにするつもり。(I got a message from my ex boyfriend but I’m not planning to read it.)

IHYする (イヤッッホォォォオォオウする)
Type: Verb
Meaning: To buy something, especially but not exclusively something digital/electronic, on impulse

Example: 新品のカメラをIHYするかも (I might just buy a new camera)

NNT (ないないてい or エヌエヌティ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: The condition of having no job and no job offers

Example: 私は内定も内々定もないのでNNTだよ。(I have no official or unofficial job offers so I’m prospect-less right now.)

ROMる (ろむる)
Type: Verb
Meaning: To lurk (e.g., on a website or forum)

Example: 今までROMったけど昨日やっと垢を作った。(I’ve just lurked until now but I finally created an account yesterday.)

ry) (いかりゃく)
Type: Phrase
Meaning: Used at the end of a sentence to mean “everything after this was cut”, especially to hide/not state your opinion

Example: 最近のアニメはね、ぜんぜんおもry) (Anime these days is really (redacted))

TNJ女子 (てぃーえぬじぇーじょし)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A term of abuse used to refer to women that the speaker feels aren’t anything special despite being popular (especially with men)

Example: TNJ女子のくせにいつも見栄を張りやがって… (Despite being completely average she’s always acting like she’s hot shit…)

Note: The term has been “reclaimed” by some to refer to themselves a woman who is popular despite appearing “plain” at first glance

WKTK (わくてか)
Type: Reaction, noun, verb via +する
Meaning: Very excited, especially due to anticipation

Example: 明日はお休みだ！wktk!

Note: Sometimes written wkta

Yガール (わいがーる)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A girl who is a fan of Thai Boy’s Love media

Example: 最近タイ沼にはまっちゃったので、私もYガールになったかな。(I’ve become obsessed with Thai drama so I guess I’m a Y-girl too now.)

あ行

アクキー
Type: Noun
Meaning: Acrylic prints of characters, idols, etc., used to make keychain decorations or keyholders

Example: え、ピカチューのアクキーじゃん？かわいい！(Oh is that an acrylic Pikachu keyholder? Cute!)

アクスタ
Type: Noun
Meaning: Acrylic prints of characters, idols, etc., that are placed on a stand and used for decoration or similar purposes

Example: 推しの写真をたくさん印刷して、アクスタを作るのが楽しい。(It is fun to print off photos of my bias and make little acrylic figures.)

あ、（察し) (あ、さっし）
Type: Response
Meaning: Ah, I got it, I won’t ask anything more

Example: 「昨日ね、元カレが家に遊びに来て…」「あ、察し」(“Yesterday my ex-boyfriend came over…” “Ah, say no more.”)

圧倒的感謝 (あっとうてきかんしゃ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Extremely thankful; sometimes used in a sarcastic manner

Example: 今日も残業？同僚と会社に圧倒的感謝！(Overtime again today? I’m SUPERTHANKFUL to all my coworkers and my company!)

あざとかわいい
Type: い Adjective
Meaning: Acting cute purposefully. Usually a positive term, but can sometimes have the implication of doing so to manipulate or attract people

Example: 彼女の文字はあざとかわいいし、顔も綺麗で、すごく美しい人。(Her letters are cute in an affected way, her face is pretty, she’s just a gorgeous person.)

Note: Sometimes shortened to あざかわ

あなたの感想ですね (あなたのかんそうですね）
Type: Phrase
Meaning: A phrase ostensibly used to call someone out for making a claim based more on feeling than fact, but in use mostly employed to rile people up and/or as a trollish rejoinder to dismiss someone’s statement.

Example: この政治のほうがいいなんて、あなたの感想ですね。(You say this politician is better but like, that’s just your opinion, man.)

アバン
Type: Noun
Meaning: The opening credits of an anime, show, or film

Example: 残念ながら、アバンのほうが映画より面白かった。(Unfortunately the opening credits were more interesting than the movie.)

あぼーん
Type: Noun, Verb via +する
Meaning: To disappear, to break, to stop functioning properly, to be in a bad state/spirits, to be finished (with a negative outcome), to die

Example: 課金しぎて銀行口座があぼーん。(I spent too much on mobile games and now my bank account is a blank.)

ありがとナス
Type: Phrase
Meaning: A slang/silly way of saying “thank you”

Example: 今日はホントにありがとナス！(Shanks for today!)

言い値で買う (いいねでかう)
Type: Phrase
Meaning: I’ll buy it at any price!, used to express a desire for something to be made/sold, similar to “shut up and take my money” in English

Example: このキャラのグッズを言い値で買うから速く作ってほしい。(I’ll pay any price for merch involving this character so I want them to make some very soon.)

生きるwww (いきる)
Type: Response
Meaning: A way of expressing humor or amusement, especially to get past sites that filter words like “I’m dead” and/or to sound a bit more positive

Example: この動画ちょーおもしれ！生きるwww (This video is hilarious I’m alive hahaa)

一発殴らせろ (いっぱつなぐらせろ)
Type: Exclamation, phrase
Meaning: I am overcome with emotion about a thing, positive or negative

Example: 一発殴らせろ、可愛すぎ

井田ポン (いだぽん)
Type: Noun, verb via +する
Meaning: A light, loving touch on the head with one’s full palm, specifically from Ida Kōsuke in Kieta Hatsukoi.

Example: 夢の中で井田ポンをもらって起きたくなかった。(Ida touched my on my head in my dream and I didn’t want to wake up.)

Note: When someone else does an 井田ポン style touch, it is phrased as 井田ポンならぬNAMEポン.

一万円企画 (いちまんえんきかく)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A fad of going somewhere and buying as much as you can with 10,000 yen, usually food (which you then eat)

Example: 四人でマックの一万円企画したぁ～！お腹パンパン (Four of us bought 10,000 yen worth of food at MacDonald’s and ate it! My stomach is going to burst)

イッヌ
Type: Noun
Meaning: Cute way of saying “dog”, いぬ

Example: 見て、あそこに小さくて茶色のイッヌがたくさんいる！(Look, there’s a bunch of small, brown doggies over there!)

一般人 (いっぱんじん)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A non-otaku person, a normal person, someone who is “not online” or someone who is a “normie”

Example: 仕事で一日中一般人擬態するんだけど、帰ってからすぐネット友と全開放 (At work I act like a normie all day but when I get home I immediately let my otaku out with my online friends).

いとしなもん
Type: Noun
Meaning: Raising your hands above your head and curving them into “U” shapes for a pose to make “ears” similar to those of the Sanrio Cinnamoroll character

Example: プリクラでいとしなもんポーズなう！(We’re doing the Cinnamoroll pose in the photo booth right now!)

今北産業 (いまきたさんぎょう)
Type: Noun, response
Meaning: I just got here so please summarize everything for me

Example: じゃ、今北産業の人のために簡単に説明するね。(Okay, I’ll explain quickly for those who just got here.)

インスタ蠅 (いんすたばえ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A person who spends too much time trying to take photos that will get popular on Instagram, especially in a manner that troubles others

Example: インスタ蠅と一緒に食べるのがつらいよね。食べさせてくれる前に写真をたくさん撮って、お腹がつくもん。(Eating with someone who is obsessed with Instagram is rough. They take so many photos before they let you eat that you get hungry.)

インターネット老人会 (いんたーねっとろうじんかい)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A phrase used self-depreciatingly when reminiscing about the early days of the internet, or a conversation about that topic

Example: インターネット老人会になりますが、９０年代のフラッシュゲームの単純さが最近のゲームになくて残念だと思わない？(This is like and old man internet discussion, but does anyone else miss the innocence of those old flash games when they play modern ones?)

うp主 (うぷぬし)
Type: Noun
Meaning: The person who uploaded something

Example: あ、実は私はその動画の元のうp主なんだ。(Oh actually I’m the person who originally uploaded that video.)

嘘松 (うそまつ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A lair or the lies they tell

Example: それは嘘松ではないかと思う (I think that might be BS)

うらる
Type: Noun
Meaning: URL

Example: このうらるを踏んでね! (Click this link, okay?)

お祈りメール (おいのりメール)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A rejection mail from a job, sometimes just called お祈り

Example: 今日お祈りを喰らったのでちょっとブルー (I got a rejection letter so I’m kinda bummed out today.)

産みたい (うみたい)
Type: Phrase
Meaning: I like this idol a whole lot

Example: 田中君のような子産みたい！(I love Tanaka-san so much I’d want to give birth to a child like him!)

絵アド (えあど)
Type: Noun
Meaning 1: The advantage, often not serious, that a piece of art gives you in a card game

Example: 絵アドが高すぎて負けても構わない (The art is so good I don’t even care if I lose [because I play the card])

Meaning 2: The quality of art, especially digital art in/for a game

Example: 絵アドが高くても低くても特に構わない。ゲーム自体が大事だ思う (I don’t personally care if the art is good or bad, for me it’s more about if the game itself is good)

円盤 (えんばん)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A CD, DVD, or any other kind of circular disk-based media

Example: 曲の円盤化を楽しみにしている！ (I’m ecited about the song’s release on CD!)

おｈ (おはよう)
Type: Phrase
Meaning: Good morning

Example: カナちゃん、おｈ！(‘Morning Kana!)

お冠 (おかんむり)
Type: Noun, Exclamation
Meaning: Angry

Example: ガチャでお金をたくさん使ったのに当たらなくてお冠 (I spent a lot of money on a gatcha game and didn’t get what I want so I’m pissed)

Note: Also seen as お冠状態 (おかんむりじょうたい)

おきゅ
Type: Noun, Verb via +する
Meaning: Work, especially in a maid cafe or similar location

Example: 今日は8時までおきゅ！会いに来てね！ (I’ll be working at the cafe from 8! Come and see me!)

Note: おきゅいん is used to mean “I’m at work (at the maid cafe) now”.

おくちょ
Type: Phrase
Meaning: Send it to me please

Example: 昨日撮った写真を全部おくちょね！(Send me the photos from yesterday okay!)

Note: Is sometimes verbed as おくっちょる, especially in the past tense おくちょった, but some people use this to mean “sent” in reference to something they sent rather than “sent to me”

おこ
Type: Noun
Meaning: A cute, playful way of expressing that you are angry

Example: 帰った時おこだったけどビールを飲んだりして落ち着いた。(I was all angerz when I went home but I had a beer and calmed down.)

惜しカチューシャ (おしかちゅーしゃ）
Type: Noun
Meaning: Hair bands with pictures of the idol you like attached to them as a craft product/fan item

Example: 明日のライブに備えて、推しカチューシャを準備中。(I’m making some idol-art hair bands for the live tomorrow.)

推し被り (おしかぶり)
Type: Noun
Meaning: When someone has the same 推し (person you stan) as you, or that person

Example: 多くの人は推し被りが嫌いだけど、私はそうではない。逆に推しが多くの人に愛されて、嬉しい。(Lots of people hate people who share their bias, but not me. Rather, I’m happy my bias is so loved.)

おしゃピク
Type: Noun, Verb via +する
Meaning: A fancy picnic

Example: 明日のおしゃピクのために素敵なカップケーキやワインをたくさん買っておいた。(I bought lots of nice cupcakes and wine for the fancy picnic tomorrow.)

襲い受け (おそいうけ)
Type: Noun, Verb via +する
Meaning: A submissive partner, usually in BL fiction, who aggressively initiates and leads the sexual activity.

Example: この章では、BがAを襲い受けしてhshs (In this chapter B is the bottom but they lead the sexual encounter and that excited me)

おそらきれい
Type: Phrase, noun
Meaning 1: A state of shock, surprise, or stress where you are unable to think

Example: 試験前だからおそらきれい状態になりそう。(It’s right before the test so I’m basically a complete blank.)

Meaning 2: When you spend lots of money in a game, usually the game Touken Ranbu specifically (see 爆死), and don’t get what you want

Example: いっぱい課金したが、一回も当たらなくて、おそらきれい…. (I spent all this money on a game, and I didn’t get one hit… I just, uhh, I need a minute…)

Note: おそらきたない is instead used when you do get what you want

お疲れサマンサ (おつかれさまんさ）
Type: Response
Meaning: A lame way of saying otsukaresama that died out in the 1980s, revived in youth popularity through the anime Jujutsu Kaisen

Example: 「がこおわー！」「お疲れサマンサ！」(“School’s out!” “See you later alligator”)

オタサーの姫 (おとさーのひめ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A single girl in a group of men, usually derogatory with the implication that the speaker thinks the girl is leading the men on/playing with their emotions to control them or a fashion style involving short skirts, high socks, and closed long jackets.

Example: オタサーの姫って言われたんだけどそれってあのあいつの偏見に過ぎないじゃん？(I was mocked for being a tease but that’s just his damn mindset.)

親指溶鉱炉 (おやゆびようこうろ)
Type: Noun, often in the phrase 親指溶鉱炉に沈むシーン
Meaning: I found this movie/media product moving/good but I’m not going to give details or spoilers

Example: 昨日の映画まっちゃよかったよ。親指溶鉱炉に沈むシーンは涙なしに見られなかった！(That movie yesterday was so good. I couldn’t stop crying at the scene where the guy sinks into the furnace and gives the thumbs up.)

オン眉 (おんまゆ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A haircut where the front rests just above the eyebrows.

Example: 今回みんながオン眉にした！(This time we all got the above-the-brows style cut!)

か行

解像度が高い (かいぞうどがたかい)
Type: Phrase
Meaning: Something that causes your feeling of connection to someone or something to increase

Example: 解像度が高い言葉を使うと相手の頭に綺麗なイメージが浮かぶよ。(When you use really vivid language it helps an image of what you are saying appear in your interlocuter’s mind.)

課金 (かきん)
Type: Noun, verb via +する
Meaning: To spend money on microtransactions

Example: 朝から夜までずっと課金して今ちょー金コマ (I spent money on microtransactions all day so money’s a bit tight)

懐古主義 (かいこしゅぎ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Nostalgia-ism, a love for an idealized past that causes critique of the present, a refusal to accept change, etc., boomerism

Example: 父の懐古主義にうんざり。(My dad is such a boomer I can’t deal with it.)

かたじけパーリナイ
Type: Phrase
Meaning: Thank you very much, I am very grateful

Example: ええ？こんなに買ってくれたの？かたじけパーリナイ！(Wha? You got this for me? Amaze-balls!)

金コマ (かねこま)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Broke, has money troubles

Example: 明日は給料日だけど、今めっちゃ金コマ。(I get paid tomorrow but today I’m a bit tight.)

神回 (かみかい)
Type: Noun
Meaning: The best episode of an anime or media product

Example: この神回まだ見たことないの？お前本当に履修中だね？(You haven’t seen the episode yet? You really are still new to this aren’t you.)

カモる
Type: Verb
Meaning 1: To deceive, swindle

Example: ホストクラブに行くたびにカモられている気がして落ち着けない。(Every time I go to a host club I feel like I’m getting ripped off so I can’t relax.)

Meaning 2: To defeat easily

Example: プレーヤーAがプレーヤーBをカモった。(Player A wiped the floor with Player B.)

Meaning 3: To take someone out on a date, have them pay, and then split

Example: まだカモられたか？運が悪いな、おまえ。(You got ditched on a date again? You’ve got bad luck dude.)

供給 (きょうきゅう)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Supply of information or products relating to a given media product

Example: 今日は供給多過ぎて多分来週までテンション全然下がらない (There are so many announcements today I probably will stay hyped until next week from this)

完全勝利S (かんぜんしょうりえす)
Type: Exclamation, noun
Meaning: Obtaining the complete collection of something, with 完全勝利A, B, and C respectively indicating near-complete, decent, and beginning collections

Example: 昨日まで完全勝利Aだったが、今日やっと最後のカードを手に入れたので完全勝利S! (My collection was almost done yesterday, but today I finally got the last card so now it’s 100% complete!)

カンスト
Type: Noun, verb via +する
Meaning: To achieve a maximum score or personal best, to accomplish something to an extremely high degree

Example: カッコよさがカンストした！ (This is cooler than cool!)

完全に一致 (かんぜんにいっち)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Two things look very similar, often in a humorous way

Example: 見て！この犬はあなたと完全に一致だぞ（草）(Look! This dog looks just like you lol)

Note: 完全一致 is a non-slang phrase meaning that two things are basically the same, so be careful not to confuse the two

概念アクセ (がいねんあくせ）
Type: Noun
Meaning: An accessory with a design and/or color that reminds you of someone or something (that you like)

Example: ピカチューの概念アクセを作った。ジッグザッグ型の黄色いピアス。(I made Pikachu-inspired accessories. Yellow earrings with a zig-zag pattern.)

ガクチカ
Type: Noun
Meaning: The things someone put energy into and got good at in school, especially as useful for answering questions about your past in job interviews

Example: ガクチカは？と絶対面接で聞かれるので考えておいた方がいい。(You will absolutely be asked about your talents in school at the interview so it’s good to think about it in advance.)

記憶がない (きおくがない)
Type: Phrase
Meaning 1: Something amazing happened, or was exceptionally good

Example: 昨日楽しすぎて記憶がない。(Yesterday was so fun I can’t remember it.)

Meaning 2: Spent too much money and a bit embarrassed or humbly bragging

Example: おかしい、この漫画全巻ポチッタ記憶がない。(That’s odd, I have “no memory” of buying this complete manga collection online.)

貴族の遊び (きぞくのあそび)
Type: Phrase
Meaning: A small treat

Example: ボーナスが入ったので近所の居酒屋でちょっと貴族の遊び！(I got my bonus so I’m going to treat myself at the local izakaya!)

キテル
Type: Verb, but always in katakana regardless of conjugation
Meaning: Become popular/gain popularity

Example: 「この歌手最近めっちゃキテルね。」「そうだね。例の曲がきっかけで一気にキタわ。」(“This singer is really popular right now aren’t they.” “Yeah. That song just blew up.”)

気になって夜しか眠れない (きになってよるしかねむれない)
Type: Phrase
Meaning: I am interested in or anticipating this to a large degree

Example: 新アルバムの最初のシングルを明日公開するの？気になって夜しか眠れない！ (You’re releasing the first single off the new album tomorrow? I’m so excited I can only sleep at night!)

きぼんぬ
Type: Phrase, Verb as is or via +する

Meaning: To want something, to wish for something

Example: 彼女の隣の席をきぼんぬ (I hope I get the seat next to her).

きまZ (きまぜっと)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Awkward, uncomfortable or a z-shape pose you make while saying the word with your left arm angled up and your right arm angled down

Example: 好きじゃない人に告られてきまZ (Someone I don’t like confessed their love to me ewwww)

金太郎飴シナリオ (きんたろうあめしなりお)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A game which advertises important choices but in the end the ultimate game outcome/ending is pretty much the same. By extension, anything that sounds like a repeat of what has come before.

Example: 一回目はちょー楽しかったが、二回目全然違うキャラをして、全然違うプレースタイルをしたのに終わり方は同じで、結局金太郎飴シナリオでめっちゃブルーになった。(The first time was fun, but the second time I tried a completely different character and play style and got the same ending so I was bummed to find out my choices didn’t actually matter.)

きゃぱい
Type: Noun, い adjective
Meaning: To be at one’s limits emotionally, at the point just before overload. This can be in either a positive (happiness) or negative (stress) sense.

Example: 勉強し過ぎて頭の中がきゃぱい (I studied too much and my brain is about to blow up)

キャピる
Type: Verb
Meaning: Acting in a manner perceived as akin to a young girl, especially in being overly enthusiastic or carried away by fads. Can be used self-referentially in a positive sense

Example: 職場でキャピるな！ここはバーでも女子会でもない。(Stop messing around at work! This isn’t a bar or a girls’ night out.)

ぎゃきゅん
Type: Noun/Action
Meaning: The opposite of the きゅん heart gesture, often done to reject it

Example: きゅんからぎゃきゅん！(ノಠ ∩ಠ)ノ彡きゅん♡ (Bleh I don’t want your heart (ノಠ ∩ಠ)ノ彡きゅん♡)

ギャルベ
Type: Noun
Meaning: A born, dyed-in-the-wool gyaru

Example: あなたはイエベ？　ブルベ？　それともギャルベ？(For make-up, are you a yellow base? A blue base? Or a gyaru-base?)

今日イチ (きょういち)
Type: Adverb, Noun via 今日イチで or 今日イチの
Meaning: The most [adjective] thing of the day, the most you [verbed] today

Example: サプライズパーティーありがとう！今日イチびっくりした！今日イチ楽しかった！(Thanks for the surprise party! It was the most surprisingly thing today! And the most fun thing today!)

筐体 (きょうたい)
Type: Noun
Meaning: An arcade game cabinet

Example: アパートは狭いからアップライト筐体よりテーブル筐体の方がいいと思うけど、やっぱり貯金して全問筐体にするかな (My apartment is small so the table-style cabinets are better than the big upright ones, but maybe I should just save and get one of the special ones made for a specific game)

空気嫁 (くうきよめ)
Type 1: Command-form verb
Meaning 1: “Read the room!”

Example: おい、空気嫁！彼女はあなたに興味ないぞ (Hey, get your head out of your ass! She’s not into you)

Meaning 2: A phrase admonishing yourself for carelessness

Example: コーヒーをこぼしちゃった空気嫁 (I spilled coffee careless me)

Type 2: Noun
Meaning 1: A sex doll, dakimakura, or similar item

Example: 彼のソファーに空気嫁があってイタかった (He had a sex doll on his sofa it was super awkward)

Meaning 2: An empty seat where a partner could be, or you wish a partner was

Example: いやいや、二人分頼んで一人で食べたんじゃなくて、空気嫁との写真だ。(No no, I didn’t order two portions and eat them alone, my invisible wife is in this photo too.)

Meaning 3: A character, especially a heroine, who has no personality

Example: この主人公はちょっと空気嫁って感じ (This protagonist feels a bit like blank sheet of paper)

Type 3: Exclamation
Meaning: Used when winning a gatcha/lottery game

Example: ガチャなんて簡単だ！空気嫁 (Gatcha are a cinch! Check out my winnings)

クール
Type: Noun
Meaning: A three month period of time through which a show goes through about 12 episodes

Example: このシーゾンは３クールに納められるって (They said this season will be split across three 3-month blocks of 12 episodes)

草こえて森こえてアマゾンこえてマダガスカル (くさこえてもり)
Type: Phrase
Meaning: ROFL

Example: 上司はまじで非常識でほぼ毎日恥ずかしいことやって草こえて森こえてアマゾンこえてマダガスカル! (My boss has no common sense so he does embarrassing things every day it’s hilarious).

クソゲー
Type: Noun
Meaning: A bad game

Example: 誰がこんなヌルゲーでクソゲーを作ったの？ (Who made this easy, awful game?)

けちょんけちょん
Type: Adverb (via +に)
Meaning 1: Completely (used with a negative outcome)

Example: 彼は田中君にけちょんけちょんにやっつけられた。(He had the shit beat out of him by Tanaka.)

Meaning 2: Destroyed, in a horrible state

Example: 外で仕事していた間、猫がソファーをけちょんけちょんにした。(While I was working my cat destroyed my sofa.)

ケモい
Type: い adjective
Meaning 1: Animal like, esp. in a way appealing to the furry fandom

Example: この絵はちょっとケモいよね (This picture looks a bit like it was made for furries/looks a bit animally, yeah?)

Meaning 2: Of or relating to actual animals

Example: 何このケモい匂い? (What smells like livestock?)

ケモナー
Type: Noun
Meaning: A furry, someone interested in anthropomorphic animal characters

Example: 明らかにケモナーが描いた漫画 (This manga was absolutely written by a furry)

ケモ耳 (けもみみ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Animal ears on a human(oid) character

Example: ケモ耳娘がでるからケモいと限らない (It’s not furry-ish just because a female character with cat ears shows up)

下克上 (げこくじょう)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A story type in BL where someone “lower” in status, such as a worker or kōhai, ends up taking the seme/dominant role in a relationship with someone “higher” in status, such as a boss or senpai.

Example: これは下克上ラブの話で、ホストがオーナーを唆す (This is an “overthrow” type story where a host seduces the club’s owner)

ゲンドウポーズ
Type: Noun
Meaning: Putting your hands across each other like a bridge/table, and then holding them in front of your nose while you look stern, imitating a pose associated with Gendou from Neon Genesis Evangelion. Also used in parenthesis after a statement to show that you are serious.

Example: あたしの推し、めっちゃ可愛いぞ (ゲンドウポーズ）(My bias is super cute (serious face))

こおわー
Type: Exclamation
Meaning: The end of school day, school is over!

Example: よっしゃ、こおわー！お寿司でも食べに行こう！(And we’re done with school for the day! Let’s go eat sushi!)

Note: Also (more) commonly written as がこおわー.

固定 (こてい)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A BL coupling that someone won’t allow to be modified

Example: あたしは固定派だと思う。少なくとも左右固定派。(I don’t allow people to mess with BL couplings, at most they can switch the top/bottom status of partners but no partner swapping.)

コテハン
Type: Noun
Meaning: A fixed handle name used on one or more websites

Example: 全てのSNSで同じコテハンを使うから是非インスタやツィーターでもフォローしてね！(I use the same handle everywhere so follow me on Twitter and Instagram too!)

小並感 (こなみかん)
Type: Exclamation, な adjective/adjectival noun
Meaning: Usually used after a statement of evaluation or expression of feelings to jokingly self-depreciate said statement/evaluation as lacking in originality or detail. Can also modify nouns via な or の.

Example: 昨日は楽しかった（小並感）(Yesterday was fun (sorry for my lack of vocabulary))

Note: Also written as 粉みかん, 小波感, and コナミ感 of KONAMI感, the latter two being popular when expressing simplistic feelings about games

こy (こわい)
Type: Noun, な-Adjective
Meaning: Scary

Example: 全然こyではないよ。(It’s not scary at all).

極道入稿 (ごくどうにゅうこう)
Type: Noun, verb via +する
Meaning: The situation/state of submitting some kind of material-to-be-published after the deadline

Example: エルデンリングを買って極道入稿の地獄になった。(I bought Elden Ring and ended up in the hell of being past my deadlines.)

さ行

スイーツ（笑）
Type 1: Reaction
Meaning: Used to mock people for following trends, especially after the fad has died down

Example: 見て、群れでタピってる学生達スイーツ（笑）(Look a bunch of students getting bubble tea 2015 called lol)

Type 2: な adjective via +的な
Meaning: Used to mean “mocking” or “contemptuous”, in reference to the use above

Example: スイーツ（笑）的な反応なんて心の狭さを反映する (Mocking people for enjoying something reflects a smallness of heart)

サ終 (さしゅう)
Type: Noun
Meaning: The service for a game, website, etc., is over

Example: そのゲームにお金をかけすぎるな。サ終したらきっと後悔するぞ。(Don’t spend too much on that game. If it stops being supported you’ll regret it.)

さすい
Type: い adjective
Meaning: As expected it is [adjective]. The [adjective] can be any adjective ending in い, including [verb stem]+やすい・にくい combinations, which does create potential meaning difficulties. A blunt solution that is used is to write the adjective in ( ), e.g., さす(がにヤバ)い.

Example: さすいってさす(がに分かりにく)い言葉です。(Sasui is, as expected, a hard word to understand.)

誘い受け (さそいうけ)
Type: Noun, Verb via
Meaning: A submissive partner, usually in BL fiction, who initiates sexual activity

Example: 経験のない受けが少しずつ誘い受けになるっていう話が好き (I like stories where an inexperienced bottom gradually initiates the encounters)

差分 (さぶん)
Type: Noun
Meaning: One or more pictures with very small differences between them, especially expressions, hair styles, etc., or other elements of a 立ち絵.

Example: 昨日作った立ち絵の差分を三枚作った。(I made three variations of the character picture I created yesterday.)

サムネ
Type: Noun
Meaning: Thumbnail (as in of an image or video, not on your finger)

Example: 最近のユーチューバーのサムネが全部同じスタイルで気に入らない。(I’m not really a fan of the thumbnails that YouTubers have been using these days.)

座席ガチャ (ざせきがちゃ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: The “luck” of your seat at a concert or show, such as how good the view is, if something good happens to you because of where you are seated, if you get put next to someone smelly, etc.

Example: 昨日座席ガチャめっちゃよかったよ。前に背が高い人が一人もいなくて、ギターリストが投げたピックも取れた！(I lucked out on seats yesterday. There were no tall people in front of me, and I was even able to catch the guitarist’s pick!)

残当 (ざんとう)
Type: Noun, な adjective
Meaning: Unfortunate but expected

Example: 勉強しなかったから残当な成績だ。(You didn’t study so what other marks would you expect.)

死ぬ前に見る夢？ (しぬまえにみるゆめ？)
Type: Response
Meaning: Is this a dream before death?, used to respond to something amazing or desirable

Example: 推しが私の誕生日に新アルバムを発売するなんて？そしてここでライブもするって？これ、死ぬ前に見る夢？(My bias is releasing a new album on my birthday? And they are going to do a live show here? Am I dead?)

支部 (しぶ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: The art hosting website Pixiv

Example: これを支部にもアップするね。(I’ll upload this to Pixiv as well.)

しまパト
Type: Noun, verb via +する
Meaning: The act of going to the store Shimamura to buy things/look for deals

Example: あした二人でしまパトしようよ。(Let’s go check out the products at Shimamura together tomorrow!)

社不 (しゃふ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A person who is socially awkward or doesn’t fit in, usually used as a form of self-mockery or critique rather than a term of abuse.

Example: 社不のコミュニティーにもうまく溶け込めない僕は本物の社不だ。 (I can’t even fit in with the outcasts well, which is proof I’m the real outcast.)

シャフ度 (しゃふど)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Tilting the head back and looking over the shoulder in an exaggerated manner associated especially with the anime studio Shaft

Example: キャラがこの台詞をシャフ度で言うとよりかっこいいと思う。(I think it would be cooler if the character said this while making the Shaft pose.)

シャボン玉映え (しゃぼんだめばえ）
Type: Noun
Meaning: A photograph (intended to go viral) that contains bubbles in it, part of an Instagram fad

Example: シャボン玉映えってまだ人気？(Are bubble photos still popular?)

知らんけど (しらんけど)
Type: Phrase
Meaning: Used to hedge confidence in or commitment to your statement

Example: マックの方がモスより美味しいと思う。知らんけど。(I think Mac is more delicious than Mos. I mean, not that I know anything but.)

ジオブロ
Type: Noun, verb via +する
Meaning: Geoblock, region block

Example: 見るためにお金を喜んで払うのでジオブロしないでほしい。(I’m happy to pay to watch this so I really hope they don’t region block it.)

自サバ女 (じさばじょ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A woman who is “self proclaimed” at being no-nonsense, especially one who is often seen as simply being aloof or cruel

Example: 自サバ女からのクソアドバイスなんていらない (I don’t need any shitty advice from a stuck-up jerk like her)

情弱 (じょうじゃく)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Bad at using the internet to find information, easily deceived by false information online, or just unaware of recent information

Example: Twitterでデマに釣られる情弱多過ぎ。(There are far too many people on Twitter who fall for blatant misinformation.)

状態いいね (じょうたいいいね)
Type: Phrase
Meaning: A trend on TikTok, used to mean that someone is attractive

Example: 彼は最近状態いいね。(He’s looking good recently.)

人柱 (じんちゅう）
Type: Noun
Meaning: Someone who goes out and tries new things/technology and reports back to everyone (online) so people know if the thing is worth it

Example: 皆さん！私は500円を出して、人柱になった。この新しいビールはおいしくないのでご注意。(Everyone! I paid 500 yen and sacrificed myself for you all to let you know that this new beer is not good so be careful.)

Note: Do not mix up with the non-slang 人柱 read as ひとばしら

杉 (すぎ)
Type: Suffix
Meaning: Too much, same as 過ぎる

Example: この映画怖杉、もうみたくない。(This movie is too scary I don’t want to watch it anymore.)

素クール (すくーる)
Type: Noun, な adjective
Meaning: Cool, calm, and collected, especially regarding romance; the opposite of tsundere

Example: 素クールなキャラの方が好きだ。(I prefer characters that handle romantic things with a level head.)

スクショ
Type: Noun
Meaning: Screenshot

Example: スクショ取って、私に送ってね。(Take a screenshot to me and send it please.)

捨てハン (すてはん）
Type: Noun
Meaning: A online name or handle designed to be abandoned

Example: アラシは大体捨てハンを使う。(Trolls prefer throw-away names.)

砂を吐く(すなをはく)
Type: Verb phrase
Meaning: Feeling ill due to how sweet/saccharine a scene from a movie, book, etc., is

Example: この映画のセリフは砂を吐くほど甘い。(This movie’s dialogue is so sweet it makes me ill.)

宇宙猫 (スペースキャット)
Type: Meme, response
Meaning: A meme of a cat staring into space, also used in parenthesis or as a verb to show surprise/confusion

Example: ペンをバッグに入れたが見つからない（宇宙猫) (I put my pen in my bag but I can’t find it (spacecat))

Note: Sometimes read as うちゅうねこ or うちゅうねっこ.

ずっしょ
Type: Noun, exclamation
Meaning: Together forever

Example: あなたが大好き！ずっしょ！(I love you! We’ll be together forever!)

セクマイ
Type: Noun
Meaning: Sexual minorities, usually used in neutral/positive manner

Example: 最近セクマイの人権に関する運動が増えている。(Recently, movements for the rights of sexual minorities are increasing.)

ダメ絶対音感 (だめぜったいおんかん)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Ones ability to name voice actors, including obscure ones, just by hearing a character speak, more generally a highly useless ability to identify very specific sounds

Example: 誰これ… 絶対音感が試されている (Who is this… my voice actor radar is being tested).

全財産つぎ込ませてほしいし保証人にもなれる
(ぜんざいつぎこませてほしいしほしょうにんにもなれる）
Type: Phrase
Meaning: I want this so bad I would give up everything I own for it

Example: 可愛すぎて、全財産つぎ込ませてほしいし保証人にもなれる (They are so cute I’d give everything I own to be with them)

全人類見て (ぜんじんるいみて)
Type: Exclamation
Meaning: Everyone check this out!

Example: このバンドの新しいMVが良すぎるので全人類見て！(This band’s new music video is amazing everyone should watch it!)

全ステ (ぜんすて)
Type: Noun
Meaning: To go to all shows in a concert series, such as all shows in a multiple-show series held in one spot, or following a band around and going to all their shows across a country

Example: 大好きなバンドの全ステをしたいけど、今ちょっと金コマ。(I want to go to every show on my favorite band’s tour but I’m a bit short.)

た行

助けて (たすけて)
Type: Exclamation
Meaning: A phrase associated with otaku, used to exclaim joy when receiving information about something you are obsessed with

Example: えぇえ！？今日新しいアニメもフィギュアも映画もライブショーも公開されて供給多過ぎて助けて！！！！ (Whaaaaa, today a new anime and figurines and movie and liveshow were announced there’s too much great stuff save meeeeeeee)

多ステ (たすて)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Going to most of the shows in a bands tour, or most of the showings of something held over multiple days in a single spot

Example: 全ステできなかったが、多ステできたよ。(I couldn’t go to every show, but I went to a bunch.)

他グル担 (たぐるたん)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Fan(s) of a different group than you

Example: 最近他グル担にフォローされて嬉しいけど、リプで推しの悪口などを絶対やるな！(I’m happy fans of other groups are following me recently, but I don’t accept any insults towards my bias in the replies!)

Note: 他グル on its own just means “another group”, while 担 means “fan of”, used in phrases like [name]担, 誰担 (who do you like), グループ担 and オール担 (both meaning fan of a whole group), オンリー担 (fan of one group member only)

畳配信 (たたみはいしん)
Type: Noun
Meaning: When a streamer forgets to turn off the background they use to hide their screen from viewers, such as while they join a game lobby or enter passwords, and therefore displays a bland “cover” screen to their viewers rather than the game they are streaming

Example: 今日は初めての畳配信だった！乗り越えたけど十分ぐらい続いた。(Today was my first time forgetting to switch back to my stream after hiding the monitor… I got through it but it went on for like 10 minutes.)

立ち絵 (たちえ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A still image of a character from a game with minimal background, and therefore easy to manipulate or post over background images

Example: この立ち絵は全部フリ素なのでどうぞお使いください。(These character images are all free so feel free to use them.)

Note: The opposite of a 立ち絵 is an 一枚絵, or an image that includes a character performing some action against a background.

大団円 (だいだんえん)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A good ending, especially the good ending option in a video game

Example: 幸いに、大団円を迎えることができた！(Luckily, everything came out excellently!)

Note: Sometimes jokingly written as 大円団

だってマスク
Type: Noun, Verb via +する
Meaning: A mask worn for no real reason

Example: 「加奈ちゃんは風邪ひいたの？」「いや、ただだってマスクしている」(“Kana, did you catch a cold?” “No I’m just wearing a mask because I feel like it.”)

Note: だってイヤホン, だってメガネ, and similar terms also exist.

誰得する (だれとくする）
Type 1: Question
Meaning: Used to complain about something by asking “who benefits from this?”, often used like a rhetorical question

Example: このサイトで人の投稿を読むためにアカウントを作らなければならないなんて誰得する？(You need an account to read people’s posts on this site? Who wants that?)

Type 2: Prefix, な adjective
Meaning: Humble way of describing something you did or made

Example: これは誰得トリビアだったかもけど読んでくれてありがとう (This might just be trivia only I care about but thanks for reading it)

Note: 俺得 (おれとく) is a related response either used defiantly in response to 誰得 complaints, or in phrases like 誰得俺得な to indicate that you are aware that this is something only you might enjoy but…

力こそパワー (ちからこそぱわー)
Type: Phrase, な adjective
Meaning: Good, an expression of positive evaluation

Example: 力こそパワーなカレーライスを注文した。(I ordered some excellent curry.)

チラ裏 (ちらうら)
Type: Noun
Meaning 1: A tweet, message, or other online post which is boring in its commonplace nature and only of interest to the writer/sender

Example: 母からのLINEはチラ裏過ぎて迷惑だ。(The LINE messages my mom sends me are annoying nonsense.)

Meaning 2: A humble way of referring to a sketch or in-progress drawing

Example: 最近のチラ裏を投稿した。(I posted some recent sketches.)

Meaning: A humble way of referring to your own posting

Example: チラ裏ですが、昨日これを作りました！(This is just a silly thing, but I made it yesterday!)

チルい
Type: い Adjective
Meaning: Chill, relaxed, calming

Example: あいつはチルくなさそうな人だな。(He doesn’t seem very chill.)

チルする・チルる
Type: Verb
Meaning: To chill, to relax

Example: ちょっとチルりながらコーヒーでも飲もう？(Let’s chill and have some coffee?)

チル消費
Type: Noun
Meaning: Spending money for the purposes of relaxing

Example: ストレスがたまる時にチル消費でもするのがよい。(When you get stressed out it’s worth it to spend money on relaxing.)

超今風 (ちょういまふう)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Something that was cool and then became lame but enough time has passed that it’s now cool again to a new group of people

Example: 「このゲームのメニューは古臭い」「いや、かっこいいよ。昔っぽいからこそ超今風」(“This game’s menu looks old.” “No, it’s cool. It’s retro now precisely because it looks old.”)

ちょんバレ
Type: Exclamation, Noun, Verb via [X]がちょんバレする
Meaning: A response to someone letting information slip, an act of letting information slip, or a verb for “[X] slips”. The information is usually personal (e.g., that you have a partner you haven’t mentioned).

Example: 推しの名前がちょんバレした (My bias’s name was revealed).

ちゅきぴ
Type: Noun
Meaning: The person you like/have a crush on

Example: 明日はちゅきぴとのデート！(Tomorrow is a date with my crush!)

つ
Type: Kaomoji-esque
Meaning: I’m going to give you something, with the something written after the つ

Example: 今日もお疲れ様でした！つ茶 (Thanks for your hard work, here’s some tea!)

Note: Often おつ, in a way that appears to include the おつかれ meaning

ついえら
Type: Response
Meaning: Literally means “you did such a great thing by tweeting”, but predominantly used as a set response to notices streamers post on Twitter saying when their next stream will start, that they’ve released a video, etc.

Example: 「次の生配信は8月26日の朝五時から！遊びに来てね！」「ついえら」「ついえら」「ついえら」(“The next stream will be Oct. 26th from 5 AM, come join!” “Nice tweet” “Nice tweet” “Nice tweet”)

詰む・詰んだ (つむ・つんだ)
Type: Verb
Meaning: I will lose/fail or I lost/failed

Example: デザートを作ろうとしたけど、チョコをかけるところで詰んだ。(I tried to make some desert, but I forgot to put chocolate on it and failed.)

強火 (つよび)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Used in the form [name of person/thing]強火担 (or ペン) or [name of person/thing]強火宣言 to indicate/announce that you are passionate fan of someone or something, usually an idol

Example: 推しが好きすぎて、一生強火宣言！(I love my bias so much, I declare my burning love for them forever!)

ツンウル
Type: Noun
Meaning: A personality type where someone is cold but will break down sobbing if not given attention

Example: こういうツンウルキャラが好きじゃない。(I don’t like these cold and needy characters.)

ツンギレ
Type: Noun
Meaning: A personality type where someone is cold and quick to anger

Example: 猫はツンギレの権化と言われる。(Cats are considered the personification of the tsungire type.)

てぇてぇ
Type: Noun
Meaning: I really like this person/VTuber/streamer/idol/character

Example: カナちゃんマジでてぇてぇ (I am so obsessed with Kana)

Note: Has been adopted as 贴贴 in Chinese slang

低浮上 (ていふじょう)
Type: Noun, Verb via になる, を極める, and others
Meaning: To use an website/account sparingly

Example: これからテストがいっぱいあるので学期末まで低浮上を極める。(I’ve got a bunch of tests coming so I won’t be here much until the end of semester.)

テクい
Type: い adjective, rarely verbed via テクる
Meaning: Technically skilled, especially musicianship

Example: このギターソロはとてもテクくて何回聞いても関心する。(This guitar solo is super technical, no matter how many times I listen to it I’m impressed.)

デマッター
Type: Noun, Verb via する
Meaning: A person who lies/spreads misinformation on Twitter, or the act of lying/spreading misinformation on Twitter

Example: 意図的にデマッターをする人を即刻ブロックしたほうがいい。(You should immediately block people who intentionally spread misinformation on Twitter.)

~てり・~てりゅ
Type: Conjugation
Meaning: A cute version of the ~ている conjugation

Example: 「何してり？」「ビールを飲んでり」「いいね、私も飲んでりゅ」(“What cha’ doin’?” “Drinkin’ beer.” “Nice, I’m drinkin’ too”)

天最高 (てんさいこう)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Great, wonderful, amazing, superb

Example: パーティーは天最高だった! (The party was amazing!)

渡韓ごっこ (とかんごっこ)
Type: Noun, verb via +する
Meaning: To go to Korean restaurants, eat Korean food, go to Korean-style hotels, or anything else that gives you the feel of going to Korea without actually going to Korea

Example: 今海外旅行できないので、フライドチキンやキムチやソジュを買って帰って今家で渡韓ごっこ中。(I can’t go overseas now, so I bought some fried chicken, soju, and kimchi and I’m doing a pretend Korean trip at home.)

飛ぶぞ (とぶぞ)
Type: Phrase
Meaning: It’s so good (usually food) it will blow you away

Example: 食ってみな！飛ぶぞ。(Try it! It will blow your mind.)

トレカデコ
Type: Noun, verb via +る
Meaning: Decorating trading cards of idols

Example: トレカデコるが好きすぎて部屋はシールやノリだらけになった。(I love decorating cards so my room is now full of stickers and glue.)

Note: The デコ ending can be written as 凸, including in verbs (凸る)

トレパク
Type: Noun, Verb via +する or +る
Meaning: An image which is presented as an original, but is actually based on a tracing or copy of another image

Example: これは明らかにトリパクだよ (This is clearly a tracing)

Note: Someone who does トリパク is a トリパクらー, with an extended vowel at the end.

な行

ナイスパ
Type: Noun
Meaning 1: A donation to a streamer, especially on YouTube via Superchat

Example: 今日もたくさんナイスパありがとう！(Thanks for all the donations today!)

Meaning 2: A phrase used like “おつかれ” between streamers:

Example: 「Aさん、今日ないすぱ！」「Bさんもないすぱでした！」(“Hey, good job today A!” “You too B!”)

投げ銭 (なげせん・なげぜに)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Financial donations to a streamer, artist, or content creator

Example: 良かったらこのリンクを押して投げ銭をください！(If you don’t mind, please click this link and donate!)

ナマポ
Type: Noun
Meaning: A term of abuse used to mock people on welfare, or welfare itself

Example: 仕事辞めてナマポで生活するわ！(I’m going to quit my job and live on welfare.)

夏厨 (なつちゅう)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Young, annoying people who swarm the internet during summer break

Example: 夏厨の時期なので多くのサイトを使えない。(A bunch of annoying kids are all free during this summer break period so lots of sites are unusable.)

ナレシ
Type: Noun
Meaning: “Narration death”, when someone dies off-screen and their death is announced via voice over or similar means

Example: どうして俺の一番好きなキャラがもう現れないの？ナレシでもいいからどうなったか教えてくれ！(Why doesn’t the character I like appear anymore? Just tell me what happened to them even if its just via narration.)

なんだが
Type: Phrase
Meaning: A meaningless phrase attached to the end of a sentence expressing some kind of emotional response or evaluation that sounds “otaku-y”.

Example: 明日は受験だから緊張してるなんだが。(I have a test tomorrow so I’m nervous.)

ニコイチ
Type: Noun, verb via+する
Meaning: Two things that match or go together really well, often a pair of people (when verbed, it means two things are working together well)

Example: ニコイチのウサギ動画見て可愛すぎて死ぬwww (I saw a video of a pair of rabbits and it was super cute I’m going to die lololol)

Note: Can be written as ニ娘一, and increased to include larger sets of people/items as サンコイチ, ヨンコイチ, etc.

ニコ厨 (にこちゅう)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A person who is addicted to something starting with ニコ, most commonly Nico-Nico Douga but also nicotine or the model Nicole Fujita.

Meaning: ニコニコ動画で藤田ニコルのビデオを見ながらタバコを吸うなんて、本当にニコ厨だな (Watching videos of Nicole Fujita on Nico-Nico Douga while smoking? You really are a Nico-dict).

Note: Fujita’s fans often use hiragana for the whole phrase (i.e., にこちゅう)

ニシパ
Type: Noun
Meaning: Gentleman

Example: いいね、彼氏は爽やかなニシパだね。(Oh nice, your boyfriend is a fancy gentlemen.)

ぬい
Type: Noun
Meaning: A stuffed animal

Example: 大好きなぬいとディズニーランドに行ってぬい撮りをたくさんした！(I went to Disneyland with my favorite stuffed animal and took a lot of pictures together!)

Note: ぬい撮り are pictures taken with/of a ぬい out on the town, ぬい旅 is going out on trips (including errands) with your ぬい

ぬこ
Type: Noun
Meaning: Cute way of saying cat, ねこ

Example: このぬこめっちゃかわいいよ！(This kitty is super cute!)

ヌッパン
Type: Noun
Meaning: A livestream done as though about to sleep, usually in pajamas

Example: あのさ、昨日のBTSのヌッパン見た？ヌッパン最高だね！(Did you watch the BTS pajama stream yesterday? I love pajama streams!)

沼 (ぬま)
Type: (Meaning 1) Noun, (Meaning 2) Suffix, verb via +る
Meaning 1: Noob

Example: ゲームから出て行け、沼！(Get out of this game noob!)

Meaning 2: To be obsessed with something

Example: 私はBL沼。つまり、BLに沼っている。(I’m in the BL swamp. That is, I’m stuck on BL.)

ヌルゲー
Type: Noun
Meaning 1: A game that is, or that you find to be, easy. Often used in a bragging sense.

Example: これは無理ゲーじゃなくて、ヌルゲー。お前はただ下手。 (This isn’t a difficult game it’s an easy game, you’re just bad)

Meaning 2: Something that is easy

Example: 大学なんてヌルゲーじゃん？ (Uni is super easy yeah?)

ヌン活 (ぬんかつ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Going out for high tea

Example: 今日の貴族の遊びはヌン活だったぁ～！(Today’s little treat is high tea!)

ねぇハドラー、どうなってるの？
Type: Phrase
Meaning: Used to self when disappointed with the quality of an anime, or more broadly to express sadness, dissatisfaction, etc.

Example: ねぇハドラー、お腹空いたけどこのコンビニにおいしそうな食べ物が全然残ってなくて、どうなってるの？(Hadler, I’m hungry but there’s nothing good lucking in this convenience store, what’s going on?)

猫吸い (ねこすい)
Type: Noun, verb via +する or as 猫吸う
Meaning: To nuzzle your face/nose into your cat and sniff, esp. because you find it therapeutic or calming

Example: いつも家帰ってからすぐ猫吸う (The first thing I do after getting home is always sniffing my cat)

ネップリ
Type: Noun
Meaning: Net printing service, where you can download images/stickers off the net and print them

Example: ネップリをどこでできるの？(Where can you print off this net images?)

脳死周回 (のうししゅうかい)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Mindless grinding (e.g., in a video game)

Example: 脳死周回を一週間やって、やっとレベル９９だ！(I grinded for a week and now I’m finally level 99!)

[Xは]飲みもの・飲める[X] (のみもの・のめる)
Type: Phrase・Verb
Meaning: [X] is incredibly delicious, you will eat it so fast as though you are drinking it

Example: 飲めるステーキを食べた。(I had the most delicious steak.)

は行

[NOUN]廃人 (はいじん)
Type: Suffix
Meaning: A person who is obsessed with [noun]. Can be used both as a term of self-deprecation, or to indicate that someone’s obsession goes to the point that it impacts their lives negatively

Example: 潔癖症？つまりハイジン廃人？(Clean freak? You mean someone obsessed with hygiene?)

Note: In “non-slang” use 廃人 is something like “cripple” in terms of both meaning and perception as offensive and outdated. Be careful when and where you use it.

配布芸 (はいふげい)
Type: Noun, Verb via +する
Meaning: To hand out products (usually related to an anime or idol) for free

Example: 推しの新アルバムを五十枚買って、明日のライブで配布芸する。(I bought 50 copies of my bias’s new album and I’m going to hand them out at the live tomorrow.)

働きたくないでござる (はたらきたくないでござる)
Type: Phrase
Meaning: A meme-ish way of saying “I don’t want to work!”

Example: もう月曜日なの？働きたくないでござる！(It is Monday already? I don’t want to work!)

バイブス
Type: Noun
Meaning: Vibes, feel, atmosphere, one’s excitement or energy

Example: 彼からめっちゃいいバイブスもらったぜ! (I got great vibes from him!)

Note: Rarely verbed. バイブす and バイブる generally mean “to vibrate”

バカッタ
Type: Noun, verb via +する
Meaning: The act of doing stupid and/or annoying things just for the purpose of going viral

Example: ねぇ、聞いた？昨日ここでバカッタやっていた奴がふとレストランの窓を壊しちゃって、逮捕された。(Hey, did you hear? Yesterday those jerks messing around here trying to go viral broke a restaurant’s window and they got arrested.)

爆イケ (ばくいけ)
Type: Noun, な adjective
Meaning: An extremely handsome person or, as an adjective, extremely handsome or extremely upbeat musically

Example: 彼の爆イケな表情に惚れちゃった (I fell for his super attractive expression

爆死する (ばくし)
Type: Verb
Meaning: To spend lots of money in a gatcha game, buying card packs, or a similar lottery-style purchase and not get what you want

Example: パックを百個ぐらい買ったが、爆死した。(I bought 100 packs but I didn’t get a single good card.)

バ美肉 (ばびにく)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A streamer, usually a man, who uses a cute/attractive animated female character as their avatar. While this generally hides the streamer’s real identity, it is not deceptive in any way, with male バ美肉 streamers’ status as a man usually known and part of the appeal.

Example: このバ美肉は声を全然工夫しないので肉体は若い美人なのに声がアラフォーのサラリーマンの声そのまま (This female-avatar-streamer doesn’t modulate their voice at all so although their avatar is a young, beautiful girl their voice sounds just like a 40-something salaryman)

バブい
Type: い adjective
Meaning: Cute like a baby

Example: 私のワンちゃんが寝るととてもバブくてかわいい。(When my dog sleeps they are cute like a baby.)

バブる
Type: Verb
Meaning: To act like a child, to be cute, to look like a child, to depend on someone overly like a child, to babble

Example: 私はメークが濃すぎるとちょっとバブる (When I put on makeup I look a bit childish)

バウムクーヘンエンド
Type: Noun
Meaning: A situation where two characters who seemed like they were going to get together at the end of a story don’t end up together

Example: 絶対その二人が結婚してハッピーエンドになると思ったがまさかのバウムクーヘンエンド！！ (I was sure these two would get married and live happily ever after but it’s not to be!??!)

バンギャ
Type: Noun, verb via +する
Meaning: A girl who is a fan of visual kei; in verb form, getting ready for a concert or doing fan-related activities

Example: 昨日カラオケに連れて行かれたので久しぶりにバンギャした。(Yesterday I was taken to karaoke so I sang a bunch of visual kei songs for the first time in a long time.)

Note: オバンギャ is an older バンギャ, バンギャ男 is a male fan.

バンク
Type: Noun
Meaning: A collection of pre-made shots used over and over in an anime, such as of a character transforming; by extension, re-used panels, shots, or scenes in a media product

Example: セーラームーンの変身バンクはとても有名だ。(Sailor Moon’s bank of transformation scenes is famous.)

パフェいわし
Type: Noun
Meaning: A pose where you hold out your hands like showing off a plate of sushi or a series of videos/memes remixing a Kappa Sushi ad

Example: [link to original video] [link to video meme remix]

左側 (ひだりがわ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: The dominating or “top” in a BL relationship (i.e., the 攻め).

Example: この二人をシップしたら、誰が左側だと思う？(If shipped these two, who do you think would be the top?)

ひよってるやついる？
Type: Call/Response
Meaning: A way of encouraging your friends when they have low motivation or are scared of failure, from Tokyo Revengers. Others, or the person being encouraged, respond with いねえよなあ！

Example: 「好きな人に告白するにひよってるやついる？」「いねえよなあ！」(“Who here is scared of confessing to their crush?” “No one!”)

ひy (こわい)
Type: Noun, な-Adjective
Meaning: Sexually explicit, vulgar, erotic

Example: ちょっとひyに見えない？(Doesn’t this look a little obscene?).

ヒンナ
Type: Sentence-final phrase, noun
Meaning: Thankful, especially for delicious food

Example: コーヒーセットが素敵すぎてヒンナでした。(The coffee set was too nice, I loved it.)

ぴえんヶ丘どすこい之助 (ぴえんがおかどすこいのすけ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: To be very, very sad

Example: 彼氏にフラれて、ぴえんヶ丘どすこい之助の私だ。(I was dumped by my boyfriend and I’m super sad about it.)

ピザ
Type: Noun
Meaning: Term of abuse insulting someone for their weight

Example: 食べ過ぎだよ、ピザ (Don’t eat so much fatty)

フィルターメイク 
Type: Noun
Meaning: Makeup filter on a phone etc., or makeup done in a way that looks like a makeup filter (usually meaning too much makeup).

Example: フィルターメイクのやり方を教えてくれない？(Could you teach my how to use makeup filters?)

腐臭(が)する (ふしゅうがする)
Type: Verb
Meaning: To give off the feel of BL but not actually be BL

Example: このシーンなんかめっちゃ腐臭していると思わない？(Don’t you think this seen is, like, kinda boys-love-ish?)

Note: Often also written as 腐臭い, where it functions as い adjective, but the reading of this form changes to ふくさい.

フリ素 (ふりそ)
Type: Noun, Verb via +する or +にする
Meaning 1: Free materials, especially images or other digital items distributed online for use in artistic/creative projects including meme templates

Example: 犬の写真をフリ素にした (I made a meme-template out of my dog’s photo)

Meaning 2: To post photos of yourself, especially but not exclusively ones which show skin

Example: １００いいねをゲットしたらフリ素を晒す! (If I get 100 likes I’ll share some photos of myself!)

Meaning 3: To meet up online and take screenshots/photos together, especially (or even exclusively) in the game Phantasy Star Online 2

Example: エリア２９１でフリ素するので皆さんどうぞ～ (I’m waiting in Area 291 for anyone that wants to come take photos~)

ブレ盛り (ぶれもり)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A picture which is blurry but looks good because of that

Example: この写真はブレているけど逆にブレ盛りだから大丈夫だよ。(Yeah it’s a blurry picture but that’s makes it look cool.)

不仲説プリ (ふなかせつぷり)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Taking a photo with your friends where you pretend to not like each other, stereotypically performed by two people standing slightly apart from each other and looking directly at the camera with blank expressions

Example: いや、いや真紀さんと超仲いいよ。これはただの不仲説プリよ。(No, no, me and Maki are tight. This is just a joke photo where we look like we don’t like each other.)

文鎮化する(ぶんちんか)
Type: Verb
Meaning: To brick, as in, for an electronic device to become useless. Used especially with smaller devices

Example: 昨日買ったスマホがもう文鎮化したの？まじで！(The smartphone you bought yesterday is already bricked? Really?)

Note: 文鎮化の恐れ is used to mean “fear of bricking”

ブンドド
Type: Noun, verb via + する
Meaning: The sound of smashing plastic figures together, the act of “play fighting” with plastic figures, or (taking) pictures of plastic figures posed to look like they are fighting

Example: ブンドドが激しすぎて、ガンダムの足が折れてしまった。(I was fighting my toys too hard and the gundam’s leg broke.)

m9(^Д^)ﾌﾟｷﾞｬｰ
Type: Kaomoji/reaction, verb as プギャーする
Meaning: As a kaomoji, used to mock or laugh at someone. As プギャーする, to laugh at someone.

Example: なんでプギャーされてるの？ (Why am I being mocked?)

プチプラ
Type: Noun
Meaning: Cheap fashion accessories and makeup (no negative implication)

Example: このトップスカッコイイでしょう！実はプチプラだよ。めっちゃ安かった。(This top is amazing, right! It was actually super cheap.)

平成ギャル (へいせいぎゃる)
Type: Noun, verb via +する
Meaning: A woman with an interest in 90’s retro fashion from Japan, or, when used as a modifier, something in a 90’s retro style associated with ギャル in Japan at the time.

Example: 平成ギャルのスマホカバーを自分で作った。可愛いよね！(I made a retro 90’s girl phone case. Isn’t it cute?)

ペシかわ
Type: Noun
Meaning: Pessimistic or dour but ultimately cute

Example: 彼は時々鬱っぽいけどそのペシかわのところも好き。(He’s a bit depressive sometime but it’s cute.)

ほいで？
Type: Response
Meaning: Encourages person to give more details like “and then?”. When speaking alone can be used like そして or それで

Example: 彼はね、とても親切。ほいでスタイルもとてもいい。(He’s super kind. Also, his style is great.)

干されヲタ (ほされをた)
Type: Noun
Meaning: An otaku that has been “left hanging” or ignored by the person they are obsessed with (e.g., when taking a picture the idol doesn’t participate in a pose). The opposite of an 押されヲタ.

Example: 押されヲタと干されヲタの違いはやっぱりある意味で感覚次第だ。(The difference between a fan who got treated well or poorly is, to some extent, depending on your sense of things.)

ホカンス
Type: Noun, Verb via する or に行く
Meaning: Vacation at a (expensive) hotel

Example: 海外旅行する時間がないので、その代わりにホカンスしようか？(I don’t have time to travel overseas, so instead why not a staycation?)

母胎ソロ (ぼたいそろ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: The state of never having had a romantic partner

Example: ええええ？連君母胎ソロなの？イケメンなのに？(Whaaaaaat? Ren has never dated? Despite being that handsome?)

Note: Used especially in discussions of K-pop/K-drama idols

ぽえん
Type: Reaction
Meaning: Happy, the opposite of ぴえん

Example: 推しに会えてぽえん！(I’m so happy I got to meet my bias!)

Note: Sometimes used in the opposite manner to mean “extremely sad” in the order ぴえん -> ぱおん -> ぽえん going from very sad to extremely sad.

ポチる
Type: Verb
Meaning: To buy, usually online

Example: ビールを飲み過ぎて、アマゾンから要らないものをたくさんポチってしまった。(I drank too much beer and bought a bunch of crap I don’t need from Amazon.)

ぽよる
Type: Verb
Meaning 1: Soft and fluffy or a cute way of referring to your own fat

Example: まぁ、私は少しぽよってるけどあまり気にしていない。(Well, I’m a little chubby but I don’t care.)

Meaning 2: To fail, or to be finished in a unfortunate way, often in the form 萎えぽよった (なえぽよった）or the contracted 萎えぽよ

Example: 誰か、ぽよった私を慰めてくれない？(Can’t anyone cheer me up after this failure?)

Note: Almost always appears in the ~ている or ~った form

ま行

マウンティング
Type: Noun, verb via +する
Meaning: Oneupsmanship

Example: いつも「東大ではさ」で話しを始める彼のマウンティングにうんざりしている。(I’m so sick of the one-upmanship of this guy, starting every sentence with “Well, at Tokyo Uni…”)

マジレス
Type: Noun
Meaning: A serious reply, often one which is unwelcome or inappropriate given the context rather than the opposite of a クソレス

Example: マジレスで答えるな、馬鹿。(Don’t reply seriously here idiot.)

見たらグイ (みたらぐい)
Type: Phrase
Meaning: A phrase combined with a gesture similar to the “pinched fingers emoji” (and often used with it in writing). If this combination is seen, the other person must drink.

Example: じゃん、けん、はい見たらグイ！ (Rock, paper, got you you’ve gotta drink now!)

ミリしら
Type: Noun, suffix
Meaning: Don’t know even the slightest about something or an activity done without foreknowledge of the activity, especially overdubbing a video or singing the lyrics to a song you’ve never heard.

Example: 僕は英語ミリしらと言ったら正しいかも。(It might be correct to say I don’t know the first thing about English.)

ムカつき式部 (むかつきしきぶ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A joking way of showing anger or frustration

Example: 彼のせいで電車に遅れてムカつき式部だったけど駅で友だちとばったり会って楽しい話をしたから平常納言になった。(Because of him I missed my train but I met an old friend and got to chat so I calmed down.)

Note: The pair word 平常納言 (へいじょうなごん) is used to mean “calm down”.

無理ゲー (むりげー)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A very difficult game, or, by extension, something which is very difficult, troublesome, or unfair

Example: 人生はやっぱり無理ゲーさ。(Life is a souls-like game.)

飯テロ (めしてろ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Doing things, especially posting pictures of food, that make other people hungry

Example: 彼はさ、いつもおいしそうな物を食べに行って、写真を投稿する。そんな毎日の飯テロ要らないからブロックした。(He always goes to eat delicious looking food and uploads the pictures. I can’t deal with this daily food terrorism so I blocked him.)

メシウマ
Type: Noun
Meaning 1: To be good at cooking

Example: お前、本当にメシウマだね。凄いな、コツ教えてほしい。(You are really good at cooking. Amazing. Teach me your tricks.)

Meaning 2: To be delighted at someone’s misfortune or failure

Example: 毎日ゴマを擂ってる田中さんが上司に酷く叱られてメシウマ。(God I love the schadenfreude of that suck up Tanaka getting scolded by the boss.)

Meaning 3: A phrase used when posting your near misses in gatcha games or gambling style activities

Example: わぁ、おしかったぁ、メシウマぁ～ (I was so close but I got nothing!)

メシマズ
Type: Noun
Meaning 1: To be bad at cooking

Example: じゃ、晩ご飯創るよ。でもめっちゃメシマズだから期待しないで！(Okay I’ll make dinner. But I’m terrible at cooking so expect nothing!)

Meaning 2: To be angry at someone else’s success

Example: 私が失敗したのにあの奴が合格してメシマズ！(I failed but he passed? I can’t deal with this.)

Meaning 3: Used in a mock-apologetic fashion to brag about your success in gatcha games or gambling style activities

Example: メシマズですみませんが今日の爆運がぁぁぁ！！！(Sorry for rubbing it in your faces but check out my luck!!!)

メロい
Type: い adjective
Meaning 1: Has a sound which is associated with melodic death metal

Example: テクい曲よりメロい曲のほうが好き。(I’m less a fan of technical songs than melodic ones.)

Meaning 2: Cute, loveable, wonderful (often used with 死ぬほど)

Example: 武くんは死ぬほどメロい！！！(Takeshi is so cute I’m going to die!!!)

モイ
Type: Greeting
Meaning: Hello, used especially when Twitcasting

Example: モイ！これからライブ！ (Hi, going live now!)

萌え袖 (もえそで)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Sleeves that go down past your hand, usually from a sweater or cardigan, and usually seen as positive/cute

Example: オーバーサイズを買ったので萌え袖！(I bought an oversized shirt so I have cute sleeves that are too long!)

もちつけ
Type: Command
Meaning: Please calm down a bit

Example: このビデオでも見てもちつけ (Check out this video or something and calm down)

モフる
Type: Verb
Meaning: To touch something fluffy and enjoy doing so

Example: ちょーかわいい子犬を見て、モフりたい気持ちを抑えられなかった (I saw a super cute dog and couldn’t hold back the desire to pet it)

もみあげ手裏剣 (もみあげしゅりけん)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A pose where you hold your fingers next to your sideburns, and then sweep them forward until you end in the two-finger “heart” pose

Example: もみあげ手裏剣している写真ってちょう可愛い。(Pictures of people doing the sideburn-shuriken pose are so cute.)

や行

香具師 (やつ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Jerk, asshole, same as やつ

Example: 彼は嫌な香具師だね。(He’s a terrible bastard.)

ゆるぼ
Type: Noun, verb via +する
Meaning: To be recruiting or asking for something without any hurry

Example: 来月のライブに一緒に行きたい人をゆるぼ中! (Anyone want to go to the live next month with me? Plenty of time to think about!)

Note: The opposite of ゆるぼ is ガチぼ

幼女じゃん (ようじょじゃん)
Type: Exclamation
Meaning: Evaluating someone, usually in media like games or anime and especially men, positively for acting in a manner seen as cute, childish, and potentially feminine

Example: この漫画の主人公は幼女じゃん！(The protagonist of this comic is super cute!)

よきまるもんざえもん
Type: Phrase
Meaning: No problem

Example: 「帰りにビール買ってこれる？」「よきまるもんざえもん！」(“Could you buy beer on the way home?” “No problemo!”)

横攻め (よこぜめ)
Type: Noun

Meaning 1: A “top” in a BL relationship who seeks out/gets into relationships with straight men, usually straight men in relationships

Example: 横攻めはBLの横恋慕ってことだ (Yoko-zeme are the homewreckers of BL stories)

Meaning 2: An attack, approach, or method that comes from the side or an angle

Example: アイスの話になると、僕は横攻め派だ (When it comes to ice-cream, I eat it from the side)

ら行

理あ彼 (りあかれ)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A supportive, understanding boyfriend or, depending on interpretation, a boyfriend who is a pushover and/or being taken advantage of by their partner

Example: 出会いサイトで理あ彼をゲットするなんて無理だと思ったけど、昨日会った人は本当に優しそう。(I thought it would be impossible to get an understanding boyfriend from online matchmaking but the person I met yesterday seems truly kind.)

ライカントピニ
Type: Noun, な adjective
Meaning 1: The screens that appear before Thai TV programs, especially BL, warning about content, or the logo associated with those screens

Example: 最近色々なウェブサイトがライカントピニのシールを売っている。(Recently lots of websites are selling stickers of the Raikantopeni logo.)

Meaning 2: Something that is risqué or sexually explicit

Example: 私にとってこのシーンはちょっとライカントピニ過ぎる。(This scene was a bit too explicit for me.)

リアタイする
Type: Verb
Meaning: To watch in real-time/live

Example: 昨日のコンサートをテレビでリアタイした？(Did you see the concert yesterday live on TV?)

履修 (りしゅう)
Type: Noun, verb via +する
Meaning: To engage with all forms of a media product/empire, e.g., the manga, the anime, and the game

Example: 投稿する前にちゃんと履修しなさい。(Before you post make sure you watch everything.)

Note: 未履修 refers to a state of not knowing anything about the product yet, 履修中 is developing knowledge about it, 再履修 is to consume it all again, and 履修完了 or 履修済み means to be fully caught up.

リムる
Type: Verb
Meaning: To unfollow someone on a social media site

Example: 彼にフラれたので全てのソシャルから即刻リムった。(He dumped me so I removed him on all social media.)

領域展開 (りょういきてんかい)
Type: Phrase, verb via +する
Meaning: From Jujutsu Kaisen, used as part of TikTok trends involving a “transformation” or as a verb to mean “realize your goals” or “succeed”

Example: お腹ちょーついたからいっぱい注文してこれから領域展開する！(I’m so hungry so I ordered all this food and now I’m changing my reality.)

量産型 (りょうさんがた)
Type: Suffix
Meaning: A usually positive term for fans of something who are all dressed the same, often by design/coordination (e.g., before a concert). Generally seen in the forms 量産型オタク・ヲタク or 量産型女子 . Can also be used to reference the hair/fashion styles associated with 量産型 individuals.

Example: 皆で量産型になってコンサートに行こう。(Let’s all dress up the same and go to the show.)

例の回 (れいのかい)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A well known scene or event from a media product

Example: このアニメの例の回を見る度に涙がでちゃう。(Every time I watch that episode of this anime I tear up.)

レスバ
Type: Noun, verb via +する
Meaning: A “response battle”, an argument online

Example: ツィーターでレスバする暇があるなら掃除の手伝いもやれよ。(If you have time to fight on Twitter help me with the cleaning instead.)

レベチ
Type: Noun
Meaning: On an entirely different level of ability

Example: 彼女の美しさはレベチだ。(Her beauty is on another level.)

レモン少年 (れもんしょうねん)
Type: Noun
Meaning: A pose where you make your hand into a gun (thumb up, pointer out) and hold it angled across your eyebrow, referencing a child’s reaction to eating a sour lemon in a video

Example: 彼はレモン少年をしてるように見えるｗｗｗ (It looks like he’s doing the lemon boy pose lololol)

わ行

訳ワケメ (わけわかめ)
Type: Phrase
Meaning: I don’t understand at all

Example: 先生の言っていることが訳ワケメだから絶対テストに落ちる。(I don’t understand anything the teacher is saying so I’m definitely going to fail on this test.)

割れ・割れ物 (われ・われもの)
Type: Noun
Meaning: Warez, pirated software

Example: 割れ物サイトってまだある？ (Are there still warez sites?)

ヲチする・ヲチる
Type: Verb
Meaning: To actively monitor, generally (but not always) in an obsessive way with the intent to find faults/criticize

Example: このアイドルのことが好きじゃないからこそヲチしているよ (I’m spending time on this idol’s socials precisely because I don’t like them)

＃行

3150 (さいこう)
Type: Noun
Meaning: The best, awesome, amazing

Example: このかつ丼はあつあつで３１５０ (This katsu-don is hot and amazing.)

24する (つーふぉーする・つうほうする)
Type: Compound verb
Meaning: To report (offensive/illegal content) to someone, usually used as a joke but sometimes used as a threat

Example: 「昨日の晩ご飯はこれ！見てみて！」「贅沢すぎて２４するぞ」(“Yesterday’s dinner was this! Look look!” “That’s too amazing I’m reporting you to the authorities.”)

FAQ

Why did you do this?

I work as a sociolinguist of Japanese, and so the language use of subcultures is extremely interesting to me. This interested combined with my belief that academics should produce research that isn’t only behind paywalls ended up motivating me to start collecting, researching, and discussing Japanese slang in 2021. Someone online mentioned it would be nice to have all the coverage in one place, which motivated me to create this single source. For me, this dictionary is therefore is partially research, partially personal fun, and partially a way to ensure my work supports Japanese learners.

Why isn’t [word] here?

This is not intended to be the end-all be-all of dictionaries, nor do I have the time to make it such unfortunately. As a result, it only contains the terms that I have covered in my monthly slang reviews. Some of these may be covered elsewhere too, but not to the extent of detail in the reviews, and others I believe see their first English coverage here. So while this dictionary will never be “complete” (is any?) I hope you all still find it extremely interesting and useful.

Can you cover [word]?

If you can’t find anything about a slang term online or in major dictionaries, sure, let me know and I might look into it. My contact info is here or you can DM me on Twitter.

Do Japanese people really use these words?

Yes, absolutely. This dictionary only includes words that I have found actual evidence for their use (at least online). You can click any word to see. That said, some words are restricted to certain subcultures (e.g., otaku, fujoshi) and I obviously can’t help it if a term I covered here ends up “dead” a few years, months, or, well, days after I do so. Slang terms come and go. So be careful using them “in the wild”, especially in formal conversations.

Where do you find these?

As I mention at the start of all my slang reviews the website numan.tokyo is a major primary source for drawing my attention to words. I also just regularly read Japanese tweets, and browse new/popular websites like Nicopedia. Other times, I just stumble across new words while trying to make sense of texts using the slang word I’m researching at the time, or while watching Japanese media.

Can you also give information on etymology etc.?

I do! Click the word you are interested in. All the words are links to blog posts that give more detail. To keep this dictionary short and usable I’m only providing meaning summaries here.

Will this dictionary update?

Yes, once a month with about 10 words as I review them for my monthly blog post.

May I use the information here elsewhere?

Yes, of course. As long as you don’t do so for profit, and with proper citation if you are writing some kind of formal report. This dictionary is under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 License.

Can I support this project?

No, that’s okay but thanks. This is not a for-profit venture (although anyone is welcome to pay off my mortgage or send me a black lotus in the mail at any time). If you are motivated by this to produce your own free content supporting language learning, that would be wonderful support.