Dirty Japanese: Everyday Slang from "What's Up?" to "F*%# Off!"

By Matt Fargo

Learn cool slang, funny insults and all the words they didn’t teach you in class with this comprehensive guide to dirty Japanese.

You’ve taken Japanese lessons and learned all kinds of useful phrases. You know how to order dinner, get directions, and ask for the bathroom. But what happens when it’s time to drop the textbook formality? To really know a language, you need to know it’s bad words, too. You need Dirty Japanese.

From common slang and insulting curses to explicit sexual expressions, this volume teaches the kind of Japanese heard heard every day on the streets from Tokyo to Kyoto from “What’s up?” (Ossu?) to “I’m smashed,” (Beron beron ni nattekita.).

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Apr 26, 2007
• ISBN: 9781569750674

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

HOWDY JAPANESE

CHIWASSU NIHONGO

012

Hello

konnichiwa

013

Japanese slang isn’t really used with strangers, so there aren’t a lot of meet-and-greet-type slang words. If you’re being introduced to somebody for the very first time, you gotta suck it up and settle for a good old-fashioned konnichiwa. But when you’re rolling with friends, hello will come off a little stiff, so try slinging one of the following slang variations on konnichiwa:

Hi

koncha

014

Howdy

chiwassu

015

Howdy-ho

konchassu

016

Howdy-do

nchatt

017

What’s up?

ossu

018

A slangier way of saying hello would be ossu. Like its English counterpart what’s up, ossu has an infinite number of variations. Ossu was originally an incredibly formal word, the kind of thing that a soldier would say to a drill sergeant—like: SIR YES SIR! But in a slang context, ossu comes across as a silly way to say hi. Here’s how two friends might greet each other, for example:

Whattup! (greeting)

ossu

019

‘Sup. (response)

ussu

020

or

Whazzap! (greeting)

uissū

021

Whazzaaaaaaap!!! (response)

ussussu

022

Good morning / Good evening

ohayō / kombanwa

023

There are also informal variations on good morning and good evening:

Good morning, Sunshine!

ohhā

024

G’morning!

ohayōn

025

Evenin’

konbancha

026

Long time no see

ohisashiburi

027

As in English, the next part of a greeting usually involves inquiring about the other person’s well-being.

Long time no see!

ohisa

028

How’s it hanging?

chōshi dōyo?

029

It’s hanging.

bochibochi denna

030

How you been?

ogenko?

031

Same as always, man.

ai kawarazu dayo

032

And just as fat as always.

ai kawarazu debu dashi

033

And you’re just as retarded as always.

omae wa ai kawarazu aho dashi

034

Yo, guys!

yō omaera

035

Hey.

yā

036

It’s been a while.

hisa bisa dana

037

What’s the word?

saikin dōyo?

038

Same old bullshit.

dōmokōmo nēyo

039040

Goodbye

sayōnara

041

When it comes to parting phrases, there are also any number of variations on the traditional sayōnara.

Buh-bye

bainara

042

See ya

hon jā ne

043

Later

mata nē

044

Smell you later (tough guy way of saying bye)

aba yo

045

Hey!

oi!

046

In British English, oi is a slightly impolite word used to get people’s attention. In Japanese, oi is a slightly impolite word used to get people’s attention. Go figure. Other attention grabbers:

Look!

hora

047

Hey, kid…

na kimi

048

Come here a sec.

chotto oide

049

I want to have a word with you.

hanashi ga arundakedo

050

Myself

jibun

051

One of the great things about Japanese is the variety of personal pronouns you can assume. The main three ways to say I are:

I (feminine/polite)

watashi

052

I’m Nancy!

watashi wa nanshī dēsu

053

I (boyish)

boku

054

I’m studying as hard as I can to get into college!

boku wa isshō kemmei juken benkyō o yatte māsu

055

I (manly)

ore

056

I totally look like Mel Gibson, don’t I?

ore tte meru gibuson ni nitenē

057

Of course, there are also numerous slang ways to say I, most of which are variations on the aforementioned pronouns. Kids use all of these with different levels of irony, but nobody just sticks to one pronoun. Especially girls—they can use male pronouns without any innuendo, though a dude’s use of a female pronoun will probably be construed as super gay.

I (male, redneck)

ora

058

I don’t know how to use them microwaves.

ora denshi renji no tsukaikata nanka

Reviews for Dirty Japanese

[faro9faro-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is one Japanese phrase book no Japanese would recommend. It contains all the deadly words to turn a Japanese's hair white as he runs away screaming. But gives you the fun and laughter as you try to learn this difficult language. Teaches what Japanese say to each other when they're not being polite. Yeah, they can be rude too. It's quite practical as well. Contains all a foreigner needs to know in terms of entertainment, dining, and getting a date.WARNING: Only to be tried on with really, really close Japanese friends.