“り” means “I got it” – 30 Enigmatic Abbreviations in Japanese

As you might know, Japanese people are lazy enough to abbreviate everything – we abbreviate “ice cream” as “ice (アイス)”, and “Brad Pitt” as “Brapi (ブラピ). This article introduces to you a plethora of abbreviated words and phrases in Japanese so that you won’t get confused by those cryptic expressions!

Nicknames of People/Things

People

• キムタク →  木村拓哉 (きむらたくや)

木村拓哉 is one of the most famous men in Japan. He used to be a member of the disbanded male idol group “SMAP”, and he has been recognised as one of the most handsome men in Japan.

• マツジュン →  松本潤（まつもとじゅん）

松本潤 is a member of the male idol group “嵐 (Arashi)” and starred in the TV drama “花より男子” (English: “Boys Over Flowers”/ Chinese: “花樣男子”).

• ガッキー → 新垣結衣 (あらがきゆい)

新垣結衣 is one of the most popular actresses in Japan, and acted a “contract wife” in the Japanese TV drama “逃げ恥 (にげはじ)”, an abbreviation for “逃げるは恥だが役に立つ” (English: “The Full-Time Wife Escapist”/Chinese “逃避雖可恥但有用”).

• ブラピ → ブラッドピット (Brad Pitt)
• レオ →  レオナルドディカプリオ (Leonardo DiCaprio)

Among Japanese female fans, Leonardo DiCaprio is even called “レオ様 (さま)”, where the honorific title “様” is used to extol his prince-like appearance; presumably, this term was widely spread when he starred in “Titanic”.

Things

• 逃げ恥（にげはじ）→ 逃（に）げるは恥（はじ）だが役（やく）に立（た）つ

逃げ恥 is a Japanese TV drama, whose English/Chinese titles are “The Full-Time Wife Escapist”/”逃避雖可恥但有用”

• インスタ →インスタグラム (Instagram)
• ポケモン (Pokémon) → ポケットモンスター (Pocket Monster)
• スマブラ → スマッシュブラザーズ　(Super Smash Bros.)
• マック→ マクドナルド (McDonald’s)

In Kansai, McDonald’s is also abbreviated as “マクド”, where ク is accented.

Loanwords from English

• スマホ→ スマートフォン (Smartphone )
• エアコン → エアーコンディショナー (Air Conditioner)
• アイス → アイスクリーム (Ice Cream)
• サブスク → サブスクリプションサービス (Subscription Service)
• コンビニ → コンビニエンスストア (Convenience Store)
• パソコン → パーソナルコンピューター (Personal Computer)
• セクハラ → セクシャルハラスメント (Sexual Harassment)

See also

セクハラ (sekuhara) ,  アルハラ (aruhara), パワハラ (pawahara): Names of Harassment in Japanese

Words about “Act” (活動)

婚活（こんかつ）

婚活 is an abbreviation for “結婚活動 (けっこんかつどう)”, meaning “Marriage Act”

(Definition) to try to find someone to get married with

(e.g.) attend “婚活パーティー” (matchmaking party)

就活 (しゅうかつ)

就活 is an abbreviation for 就職活動 (しゅうしょくかつどう) meaning “job-hunting act”

(Definition) things to do for job-hunting

(e.g.) have a job interview, attend a job fair

朝活（あさかつ）

朝活 is an abbreviation for 朝の活動 (あさのかつどう), meaning “act in the morning”

(Definition) to do something productive in the morning (before work)

(e.g.) read books, study language, Yoga,

終活 (しゅうかつ)

終活 is an abbreviation for  “人生（じんせい）の終（お）わりのための活動” meaning “act for the end of one’s life”.

(Definition) to prepare for one’s death before one passes away

(e.g.) write a will, delete “inappropriate” data from one’s device, prepare one’s funeral and tomb

(Note) 就活 and 終活 are homonyms and their pronunciations are nearly the same. 終活 is relatively a new word, and not everyone does this kind of “act”.

Pronunciations and More Words

See 婚活 (Konkatsu) and 就活/終活 (Shūkatsu’): Unique “Activities” in Japan

Names of Countries

• 米 (べい) → 米国（べいこく）= アメリカ (U.S.)
• 英 (えい) → 英国（えいこく）= イギリス (U.K.)
• 豪 (ごう) → 豪州（ごうしゅう）= オーストラリア (Australia)
• 伊 (い) → 伊太利亜 (いたりあ) = イタリア (Italy)
• 仏 (ふつ) → 仏蘭西 (ふらんす)= ふらんす (France)
• 独 (どく) → 独逸 (どいつ)= ドイツ (Germany)

(e.g.)

日豪首脳会談 (にちごうしゅのうかいだん) = Japan‐Australia Summit Meeting

英首相 (えいしゅしょう) = British Prime Minister

米大統領 (べいだいとうりょう) = US President

Slang/Casual Expressions

りょ or り

りょ or り are abbreviations for “了解 (りょうかい)” meaning “I got it”

(e.g.)

A: 明日8時に東京駅で会おう (Let’s meet up at 8 pm at the Tokyo Station tomorrow.)
B: り (I got it)

(Note) These abbreviations are used only in a casual text (e.g., LINE, Messenger). Compared to “りょ”, the single-character abbreviation “り” is a relatively new slang term that has been used among young people lately, and might become obsolete in the near future due to its extreme ambiguity and lazy tone.

あけおめ

あけおめ is an abbreviation for “あけましておめでとうございます”, a Japanese greeting meaning “Happy New Year!”

Pronunciation More Detailed Explanations

See あけおめ (Akeome): Casual Japanese New Year’s Greeting

アラサー

アラサー is an abbreviation for the English phrase “around thirty” and describes people around 30 years old (26, 27 ~ 33, 34). Likewise, “アラフォー” means “around forty” and “アラフィフ” means “around fifty”. アラサー sometimes contains a connotation that they are not young anymore.

(e.g.)

アラサーになると婚活を始(はじ)める人が多(おお)い
Many people start 婚活 when they’re around 30.

ディスる

ディスる is an abbreviation for the English word “disrespect” and means “to diss/scorn/mock”

(e.g.)

彼にディスられてムカつく
I’m very annoyed by being scorned by him

“〇〇る” Verbs

• タクる: タクシーに乗(の)る (catch a taxi)
• ミスる: ミスをする (make a mistake)
• コピる: コピーを取(と)る (make a copy)
• メモる: メモを取 (と) る (take a memo/note)
• パニクる: パニックになる (panic)
• ググる: Googleで調 (しら) べる (search on Google)
• 事故 (じこ) る: 事故に遭(あ)う (get into an accident)

Example Casual Speech

昨日きのう、会場かいじょうまでの行いき方かたを紙かみにメモったんだけど無なくしちゃってさー。
Yesterday, I took a note on paper about how to get to the venue, but I lost it.

それでスマホでググって急いそいで電車でんしゃに乗のったら、ミスって反対はんたい方向ほうこうの電車でんしゃに乗のっちゃったんだよね。
So, I googled it using my smartphone and got on a train in a hurry, but I made a mistake and got on the train going to the opposite direction.

もう時間じかんがないから次つぎの駅えきで降おりてタクったら途中とちゅうで事故じこってマジパニクったわ。
Because I didn’t have time, I got off the train in the next station and I caught a taxi, but got into a (car) accident on the way and I panicked so much.