Japanese youth slang can feel like a completely different language. Even if your grammar is perfect, not knowing words like うざい, キモい, or ウケる can leave you clueless in everyday conversation. This guide covers five essential slang terms that younger generations use all the time.
Yukaうざい、キモい、ウケる、ダサい、ハズい ってどういう意味？ (What do uzai, kimoi, ukeru, dasai, and hazui mean?)
Rei全部、若い世代がよく使うスラングだよ。感情や状況を短く表現するための言葉だね。 (They’re all slang commonly used by younger generations — short, punchy ways to express feelings and situations.)
At a Glance
| Slang | Reading | Origin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| うざい | uzai | うざったい | Annoying / Irritating |
| キモい | kimoi | 気持ち悪い | Gross / Creepy / Ewww |
| ウケる | ukeru | 受ける (to receive/hit) | Hilarious / That’s epic |
| ダサい | dasai | 田舎っぽい (country-like) | Lame / Uncool |
| ハズい | hazui | 恥ずかしい | Embarrassing / Cringe |
うざい (uzai) — Annoying / Irritating
“うざい” means “annoying” or “irritating” and is short for うざったい. Use it when someone or something is getting on your nerves. Variants: うざっ！, うっざー！, うぜぇ！ — all expressing the same thing at increasing intensities.
Sample
Yukaうざい！ (Annoying!) (uzai!)
Reiあのー、さっきから、うざいんですけど！！ (Hey, you’ve been really annoying for a while now!) (ano-, sakki kara, uzai n desu kedo!!)
キモい (kimoi) — Gross / Creepy
“キモい” is short for 気持ち悪い (kimochi warui — feeling bad). Use it when something or someone gives you the creeps or makes you feel sick. Variants: キモっ！, キッモー！.
Sample
Yukaねぇ、キモいおっさんがマキのことちらちら見てるよ！ (Hey, that gross old guy keeps staring at Maki!) (ne, kimoi ossan ga maki no koto chirachira miteru yo!)
Reiキモっ！ (Ewww!) (kimo!)
ウケる (ukeru) — Hilarious / That’s Epic
“ウケる” means something is hilarious or cracks you up. Unlike the other slang in this list, ウケる cannot be shortened to something like “ウケっ” — it is used as-is.
Sample
Yuka超ウケるっ！ (That’s hilarious!) (chō ukeru!)
Reiその話ウケるね。 (That story is epic, man!) (sono hanashi ukeru ne.)
ダサい (dasai) — Lame / Uncool
“ダサい” means “lame” or “uncool” and can refer to both people and things — their clothes, behaviour, or taste. Variants: ダサっ！, ダッサー！.
Sample
Yukaダッサー！ (That’s so lame!) (dassā!)
Reiそのシャツちょっとダサいよ。 (That shirt is a bit lame.) (sono shatsu chotto dasai yo.)
ハズい (hazui) — Embarrassing / Cringe
“ハズい” is short for 恥ずかしい (hazukashii — embarrassed). Use it when something is embarrassing or cringe-worthy. Variants: ハズっ！, ハッズー！.
Sample
Yukaハズっ！ (So embarrassing!) (hazu!)
Reiめっちゃハズかったよ！ (That was so embarrassing!) (metcha hazukatta yo!)
Quick Quiz
Match each situation with the best slang word: うざい / キモい / ウケる / ダサい / ハズい.
Q1. Your friend keeps texting you every five minutes about nothing. → Answer: うざい (annoying)
Q2. Your friend trips and falls in front of everyone at school. → Answer: ハズい (embarrassing)
Q3. Someone tells a joke so funny you burst out laughing. → Answer: ウケる (hilarious)
These five slang words — うざい, キモい, ウケる, ダサい, ハズい — are staples of youth Japanese conversation. A word of caution: they are strongly casual and can sound rude in formal settings. Use them with friends, not your boss.
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