Takashi's Japanese Dictionary

A blog for learning Japanese that introduces Japanese slang words and Idioms!

  • Home
  • Dictionary Tools ▾
    • Furigana and Definition Lookup
    • Japanese Synonym Finder
    • Katakana Word Converter
  • Blog Posts ▾
    • Latest Posts
    • Phrases by Topic
    • Slang
    • Idiom
    • Column
    • Grammar
    • 英語に関する記事 (in Japanese)
  • Lesson Slides ▾
    • For Complete Beginners
    • For Intermediate/Advanced Learners
  • Vocab List
  • What’s New
  • Social Media
  • About
You are here: Home / Featured Posts / 11 Bizarre Japanese Slangs Untranslatable Into English

11 Bizarre Japanese Slangs Untranslatable Into English

September 16, 2020

This article introduces Japanese slang words that have weird and specific meanings! Since the slang words explained in this article are very “deep”, you’d astonish Japanese people using those words! On the other hand, due to its “deepness”, some people especially elderly people may not know some of them.

Basically, this post summarises the other individual posts introducing each word, and you can refer to them for the pronunciation, example sentences and more detailed information (e.g., related word, origin)!

Table of Contents

  • 1. 雰囲気イケメン
    • Definition
    • Original Post
  • 2. 死亡フラグ
    • Definition
    • Original Post
  • 3. 深夜テンション
    • Definition
    • Original Post
  • 4. 黒歴史
    • Definition
    • Original Post
  • 5. 公開処刑
    • Definition
    • Original Post
  • 6. 高校デビュー
    • Definition
    • Original Post
  • 7. 思い出補正
    • Definition
    • Original Post
  • 8. ブーメラン
    • Definition
    • Original Post
  • 9. 自粛警察
    • Definition
    • Original Post
  • 10. 遠慮のかたまり
    • Definition
    • Original Post
  • 11. 賢者タイム
    • Definition
    • Original Post

1. 雰囲気イケメン

Definition

雰囲気イケメン (ふいんきいけめん, fuinki ikemen) literally means ‘vibe-handsome’, and figuratively means “quasi-handsome” – a guy who looks handsome at a first glance, but with a closer look,  he has a ‘handsome vibe’ only, not a good-looking face. Although it may sound like a derogatory term, it can actually be positive, especially for guys who want to be called イケメン (“handsome”) by any means.

Original Post

雰囲気イケメン (fuinki.ikemen): ‘Handsome-Vibe Men’ in Japanese Slang

2. 死亡フラグ

Definition

死亡フラグ (しぼうふらぐ, shibou furagu) literarily means “death flag”. It describes a clichéd event or line in a fictional story which foreshadows someone’s death in the near future. The most common “death flag” is probably the following line said by a soldier: “この戦たたかい/戦争せんそうが終おわったら彼女かのじょと結婚けっこんするんだ” meaning “I will marry her after this battle/war is over”, which suggests that he will never return alive from his fight/duty.

Original Post

死亡フラグ (“Death Flag”): Clichéd Line Foreshadowing Your Death

3. 深夜テンション

Definition

深夜テンション (しんやてんしょん, shinya tenshon) means “midnight high” i.e., the phenomenon when you feel very high and bold late at night even without drugs or alcohol. Because of this “midnight high”, many people end up doing something they regret the next morning, like sending an overly emotional and cringy text like “I can’t help thinking about you” to one’s crush/friend.

Original Post

深夜テンション (shinyatenshon): “Midnight High” in Japanese Slang

4. 黒歴史

Definition

黒歴史 (くろれきし, kuro rekishi) literally means “black history”, and indicates humiliating and excruciating memories in the past that you are desperate to hide and forget. For instance, if you asked out ten classmates at high school on the same day and got rejected by all of them, that’d be your “black (dark) history”.

Original Post

黒歴史 (kurorekishi): ‘Humiliating Memories in the Past’ in Japanese Slang

5. 公開処刑

Definition

Originally, 公開処刑 (こうかいしょけい, koukai syokei) means ‘public execution’, which obviously no longer exists in almost all counties. Nowadays, the word is more often used as a slang term and illustrates a humiliating situation where flaws of your appearance are amplified in contrast to the other people around you. For instance,  if a chubby person is surrounded by a plethora of slender people in a photo, he/she would find the situation as “(mental) publish execution”.

Original Post

公開処刑 (Koukaishokei): “Mental Public Execution” in Japanese Slang

6. 高校デビュー

Definition

高校デビュー (koukou.debyū) literally means “high school debut”. Figuratively, it describes introverted people who try to change themselves dramatically and become social people when they get into high school. Some people successfully reinvent themselves and fly up the social ladder at school, while others fail to keep up the masquerade and fall back to the bottom of the social hierarchy. A lot of people attempt to make a “debut” at high school because people usually part ways with their old schoolmates once they enter high school.

Original Post

高校デビュー (koukoudebyū): Japanese Slang ‘High School Debut’

7. 思い出補正

Definition

思い出補正 (おもいでほせい, omoide hosei) indicates the glorification of one’s past memories. Because of this, many people overestimate things or people in the past, regarding them as better than what they actually were.  For instance, many people believe that their first love would have been far more handsome/beautiful than they actually were, and end up being disillusioned when they meet up for the first time in years.

Original Post

思い出補正 (omoide hosei): Japanese Slang ‘Glorification of Your Past Memories’

8. ブーメラン

Definition

ブーメラン (būmeran) is a loanword from “boomerang” in English. However in Japanese, not only describing the Australian popular souvenir, but it also indicates a hypocritical criticism that makes you feel like saying ‘Look who’s talking!’. For instance, if someone who is always late for meetings reprimands their colleagues/subordinates for being late, that’s a typical “boomerang”. This kind of criticism is called “boomerang”, as after being thrown at others, it comes back to the criticiser like a boomerang.

Original Post

ブーメラン (Boomerang) as Internet Slang Meaning ‘hypocritical statement’

9. 自粛警察

Definition

“自粛警察 (じしゅくけいさつ, jishuku keisatsu)” literally means “self-restraint police”, a brand new slang term that has been coined during the COVID-19 pandemic. It ironically describes sanctimonious people who conduct a “patrol” scrupulously either online or offline and revile random people or organisations that do not follow jishuku, i.e., “self-restraint”, such as wearing a mask, refraining from going outside and closing one’s izakaya (Japanese-style bars). In extreme cases, they go so far as to put up notes on storefronts that request the stores close down, which are utterly irrational and illegal and cannot be justified by any means.

Original Post

自粛警察 (jishukukeisatsu): Japan’s “Self-Restraint Police” Explained

10. 遠慮のかたまり

Definition

遠慮のかたまり (えんりょのかたまり, enryo no katamari) is a deep slang word in the Kansai dialect which indicates a last piece of food on a shared plate by multiple people. In other words, it describes the last portion on a plate that people feel hesitant to reach for because they don’t want to be seen greedy (e.g.) a last slice of pizza on a plate.

Original Post

遠慮の塊 (Enryonokatamari): ‘A Last Piece of a Shared Dish’ in Kansai Dialect

11. 賢者タイム

Definition

賢者タイム (けんじゃたいむ, kenja taimu) literally means “sage time”, and figuratively illustrates the particular situation when any male person becomes very calm and free from worldly pleasure, like a sage.

Original Post

賢者タイム (Kenjataimu): Time When Men Become “Sages”

Filed Under: Featured Posts, List, Slang, There's a word for it

Related Posts

  • Idiom 記念受験 (kinen juken) Meaning “Memorial Exams”

  • 食わず嫌い (kuwazu girai) Meaning “Hate Food Without Trying” in Japanese

  • 20 Japanese Twitter Slang Words in 2010s/2020s

    20 Japanese Twitter Slang Words in 2010s/2020s

  • Meaning and Difference of ガチ (gachi) and マジ (maji) in Japanese

  • List of Japanese Abbreviated Words and Phrases

    List of Japanese Abbreviated Words and Phrases

Featured Posts:

  • Japanese Conversation Practice to Master 気-related Idioms
  • “Gakkī Loss”: Meaning of ロス (“Loss”) in Japanese
  • 30+ Japanese Words for “Very”: Synonyms of とても (totemo)
  • 40 Ways of Saying "Many" in Japanese (Ooi, Ippai, Takusan, and More...)
  • 8 Funny and Cute Japanese Cat Idioms
  • Success Story of Ichiro Suzuki: What He Means to Japanese Baseball Fans

Popular Posts:

  • “The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?” Could Mean “I love You” in Japanese
  • Meaning of 卍 (manji) and マジ卍 (Maji manji) in Japanese
  • Funny Japanese Gaming Slang Terms
  • Meaning of Kenja Time (賢者タイム, kenjataimu) in Japanese Slang
  • Boku, Ore, Watashi, Atashi: 15 Japanese Person Pronouns
  • 4 Meanings of ノリ (Nori) in Japanese Slang
  • Meaning of ぼっち (Bocchi) and クリぼっち (Kuri Bocchi) in Japanese Slang
  • Meaning and Difference of ガチ (gachi) and マジ (maji) in Japanese
  • あけおめ (Akeome): Casual Japanese New Year’s Greeting
  • 5 Meanings of ペラペラ (pera pera) in Japanese
  • なんでやねん (nandeyanen): Meaning and Usage
  • 凸, 凹, 〆, 卍: Meaning of Weird and Funny Japanese Kanji
  • 40 Japanese Words Meaning “Many/Much” (Ooi, Ippai, Takusan, …)
  • 40 Funny Old Japanese Slang Words to Sound like Oyaji (Old Men)
  • 50 Japanese Words and Idioms about Love & Relationship
  • とにかく (Tonikaku) Means More Than “Anyway”
  • List of Similar and Confusing Kanji With Different Meanings
  • 9 Essential Kansai Dialect (Kansai-ben) Words and Phrases
  • Japanese Slang 帰宅部 (kitaku bu) Meaning ‘Go-Home Club’
  • Japanese and English Words that Rhyme in Both Languages
  • Japanese Wasei-Eigo List (“Japlish”) and Their Meanings
  • Meaning of “Paper Driver” in Japlish (Japanese English)
  • Meaning of Kaedama, Menkata and Barikata of Ramen Noodles
  • 闇鍋 (yaminabe): Meaning “Dark Hot Pot” with Random Ingredients
  • Essential Grammar in Kansai Dialect (関西弁, Kansai ben)
  • 30+ Japanese Words for “Very” and Their Nuances
  • Meaning of あかん (akan), the Essential Kansai-Dialect Word
  • Meaning of 相合傘 (ai ai gasa): Lovely Dream of Japanese Kids
  • List of Japanese Abbreviated Words and Phrases
  • Meaning of “Three-Day Monk” (三日坊主, mikka bouzu) in Japanese

Search on Takashionary
(e.g. 'food', 'cat', 'idiom')

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ブログランキング・にほんブログ村へPVアクセスランキング にほんブログ村

Search on Takashionary
(e.g. 'food', 'cat', 'idiom')

Trending Posts

  • “The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?” Could Mean “I love You” in Japanese
  • Meaning of 卍 (manji) and マジ卍 (Maji manji) in Japanese
  • Meaning of ぼっち (Bocchi) and クリぼっち (Kuri Bocchi) in Japanese Slang
  • 4 Meanings of ノリ (Nori) in Japanese Slang
  • Boku, Ore, Watashi, Atashi: 15 Japanese Person Pronouns
  • Funny Japanese Gaming Slang Terms
  • List of Similar and Confusing Kanji With Different Meanings
  • 5 Meanings of 気 (ki) and 30 気-related Japanese Phrases
  • Essential Grammar in Kansai Dialect (関西弁, Kansai ben)
  • 40 Japanese Words Meaning “Many/Much” (Ooi, Ippai, Takusan, …)
  • Meaning and Difference of ガチ (gachi) and マジ (maji) in Japanese
  • 50 Japanese Words and Idioms about Love & Relationship
  • 5 Meanings of ペラペラ (pera pera) in Japanese
  • Real and Unknown Meanings of “Hentai” in Japanese
  • 30+ Japanese Words for “Very” and Their Nuances
  • Japanese Slang 帰宅部 (kitaku bu) Meaning ‘Go-Home Club’
  • 凸, 凹, 〆, 卍: Meaning of Weird and Funny Japanese Kanji
  • Meaning of Kenja Time (賢者タイム, kenjataimu) in Japanese Slang
  • List of Confusing “Japlish/Janglish” (Japanese English)
  • Meaning of Kaedama, Menkata and Barikata of Ramen Noodles
  • Meaning of あかん (akan), the Essential Kansai-Dialect Word
  • 9 Essential Kansai Dialect (Kansai-ben) Words and Phrases
  • List of Japanese Abbreviated Words and Phrases
  • なんでやねん (nandeyanen): Meaning and Usage
  • 40 Funny Old Japanese Slang Words to Sound like Oyaji (Old Men)
  • List of 50+ Japanese Words to Describe Personality
  • What’s 合コン (gōkon) and 街コン (machikon) in Japanese
  • 20 Japanese Twitter Slang Words in 2010s/2020s
  • ヤンキー (yankee) Means “(Old-Fashioned) Loutish Youths” in Japanese
  • Meaning of 相合傘 (ai ai gasa): Lovely Dream of Japanese Kids

Popular Posts

  • “The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?” Could Mean “I love You” in Japanese
  • 9 Essential Kansai Dialect (Kansai-ben) Words and Phrases
  • Boku, Ore, Watashi, Atashi: 15 Japanese Person Pronouns
  • 40 Funny Old Japanese Slang Words to Sound like Oyaji (Old Men)
  • Meaning of Kaedama, Menkata and Barikata of Ramen Noodles
  • Meaning of Kenja Time (賢者タイム, kenjataimu) in Japanese Slang
  • 30+ Essential Japanese Words to Describe Food
  • 4 Meanings of ノリ (Nori) in Japanese Slang
  • Meaning and Difference of ガチ (gachi) and マジ (maji) in Japanese
  • 十八番 (ohako) Meaning “The Song You Sing Best”

Words by Theme

  • 9 Essential Kansai Dialect (Kansai-ben) Words and Phrases
  • Boku, Ore, Watashi, Atashi: 15 Japanese Person Pronouns
  • 40 Funny Old Japanese Slang Words to Sound like Oyaji (Old Men)

Idiom

  • 十八番 (ohako) Meaning “The Song You Sing Best”
  • How The Japanese Word 神 (Kami, ‘God’) Is Used Metaphorically
  • Japanese Idiom “Put on a Cat”, 猫をかぶる (neko wo kaburu)

Japlish

  • 深夜テンション (shinya tension) Meaning “Midnight High” in Japanese Slang
  • Japanese Wasei-Eigo List (“Japlish”) and Their Meanings
  • Meaning of “Paper Driver” in Japlish (Japanese English)

Slang

  • 女たらし (onna tarashi) Meaning ‘Lady’s Man’ in Japanese
  • Toka, Kana, Kamo: Japanese Vague Expressions
  • Japanese “活 Words”: 婚活 (Konkatsu), 就活/終活 (Shūkatsu)

Column

  • “The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?” Could Mean “I love You” in Japanese
  • イチロー (Ichiro): What He Means to Japanese Baseball Fans
  • Meaning of 遠慮 (enryo) and 空気を読む (kuuki wo yomu)

Grammar

  • Slang Meaning of 全然 (Zenzen) Without ない (Nai)
  • Essential Grammar in Kansai Dialect (関西弁, Kansai ben)
  • Ageru, Kureru, and Morau: Meaning, Grammar and Difference

日本語記事

  • 韻を踏むお茶目な英語表現、単語、フレーズ、イディオム30+
  • 頭に情景が浮かぶ面白い英語フレーズ、イディオム30+
  • many, much, a lot ofの類語、 言い換え英語表現50+の使い分け
  • 直訳すると変な英語表現、イディオム12
  • 「開き直る」の2つの意味と英訳

Categories

Copyright © 2023 · All Rights Reserved