7 new Japanese slang words (2020-2021)

Here is the recent and up-to-date Japanese slang phrases that you can’t find in textbooks. They are very interesting and if you know them, you will be able to understand what Japanese young people these days are saying in casual conversation!

1. オン飲み (On-nomi)

This is an abbreviated phrase for Online and Nomi (drinking). It became common to stay home and drink talking with friends over Zoom after the spread of COVID-19, and people started to use this phrase to do the online-drinking meeting. 

Example sentence: 
今夜、オン飲みしよう！（Konya, On-nomi shiyou!)
Let’s do the online-drinking tonight. 

2. ぴえん (Pien)

It is a popular internet slang that expresses the crying emoji “🥺”. Mainly young girls use this phrase when there is something depressing or sad. 

Example sentence: 
彼氏と別れた。ぴえん。(Kareshi to wakareta. Pien)
I broke up with my boyfriend. Pien(Crying). 

※Stronger version (more crying/depressing) of pien is ぴえん超えてぱおん (Pien koete paon) and the strongest version as of today is ぴえんヶ丘どすこい之助 (Pien ga oka dosukoinosuke). 

3.盛れる (Moreru)

This is another phrase that young girls use. 盛る (Moru) means to make things look better. 盛れる (Moreru) means “It can make it look better/more beautiful” and often used when photo filter apps work well. 

Example sentence: 
このアプリのフィルター、盛れる！(Kono apuri no firuta, moreru!)
This filter on this app can make the picture look better/more beautiful.

4. 〜しか勝たん（ – shika katan)

This phrase means “Nothing can beat – “. It can only mean “- won’t let you down”. 

Example sentence: 
やっぱり、ラーメンしか勝たん (Yappari, Ramen shika katan).
After all, nothing can beat Ramen. 

5. 推し (oshi)

This is used when you support someone or you are a big fan of a person. It is often used when people talk about favorite idols, anime characters, and classmates. To ask “Who do you like the most?” , you can say 誰推し? (Dare oshi?)

Example sentence: 
あの人は、橋本環奈推しだって。(Anohito wa, Hashimoto-Kanna oshi datte).
I heard that the person likes Kanna Hashimoto the most.

6.飛ぶぞ (Tobuzo)

飛ぶ means to fly. 飛ぶぞ is used when you talk about food that is extremely delicious and mind blowing. This phrase can be used to talk about something that is super. 

Example sentence: 
これ食ってみな、飛ぶぞ (Kore kutte mina, Tobuzo)
Try eating this. It’s amazing. 

7.量産型ヲタク (Ryousangata otaku)

量産型 means “Mass production type”. The phrase is often used to talk about common girl fashion style with make-up that many boys like (the make-up style is often called 地雷メイク/Zirai make-up with thick-soled shoes, and black&pink clothes). 量産型ヲタク can also be used to refer to Otaku who is crazy about idol groups. 

Example sentence: 
私、量産型ヲタクになりたい。(Watashi, Ryousangata otaku ni naritai)
I want to have the common girly style. 

Another slang that is often used is きゅんです (Kyun desu). It means “My heart skipped a beat”. Every year, many new expressions are made and used mainly by young girls and they are often very funny and interesting. 

I will introduce new slangs on this blog sometimes.
Have fun learning Japanese words and phrases!
Taka