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20+ Cool Japanese Words you Won’t Learn at School

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Japanese learners are very fortunate for the fact that there are so many resources available for studying Japanese. There are countless textbooks, apps and online learning tools that will have you up to exam standard in no time!

That being said, the way in which we speak Japanese in an academic setting vs a social setting is a bit different. As in every language, new words and new ways of speaking evolve, usually through the youth. 

So, although what you are saying may be correct by the book, it might not be the ‘coolest’ thing to say! Here is a list of a few of those ‘cool’ words often used in Japanese today.

Kakkoii 

かっこいい

Cool

A serene bamboo forest path with sunlight filtering through the trees. The Japanese word "かっこいい" (kakkoii), a cool Japanese vocabulary word meaning "cool," is overlaid on the image. Two people walk down the path, soaking in the tranquil beauty and learning Japanese in nature.

The first on our list of ‘cool’ words is of course the Japanese term for ‘cool’ — kakkoii (かっこいい, sometimes カッコイイ).

Kakkoii represents anything stylish, impressive or perhaps trendy. It is often used in the same way we use ‘cool’, for example a cool car etc. It can also be used to describe a handsome man! 

You may hear people pronounce it as kakkee (カッケー / かっけえ). This is a common way to make an i-adjective sound more cool! It is generally seen as a slightly rougher, more manly form of speech.

Yabai 

やばい

Dangerous / Crazy

Illustration of the Japanese word "yabai," meaning "crazy, awesome, wild," against a cityscape background with the text "Cool Japanese Words" on top, perfect for any school project or to spice up your notes.

Yabai (やばい) is probably the most important word on this list! You just need to spend ten minutes around a bunch of young people and you are bound to hear this word being thrown around!

According to the dictionary, the literal translation of yabai is ‘dangerous’ or ‘risky’, and therefore has a rather negative connotation. It is unknown how its meaning changed over the years, but it is now used as a sort of exclamation of excitement among the youth.

It can be used to mean various different things from ‘wow’ to ‘crazy’ to ‘awesome’ to ‘WTF’… I mean, pretty much anything! Depending on how and when it is uttered, it can express either a positive or negative reaction.

It comes in various forms such as the shortened yaba (やば) and yabee (ヤベー) which we discussed previously!

Sugoi 

すごい  

Amazing

Text reads "Cool Japanese Words すごい sugoi amazing" over an image of a sunset behind a Torii gate. "teamjapanese.com" is at the bottom. Learn Japanese effortlessly with stunning visuals.

Sugoi (すごい) is slightly similar to yabai in that it expresses a sort of ‘wow’ sentiment. It generally translates as ‘amazing’, although is not necessarily reserved for positive situations.

Yabai is a good word to know as it is very hip and is great for conversations with friends. However, if you want to be a little more polite, use sugoi as it is a word used by people of all ages and is suitable for varying social situations!

Similarly to the previous words, it can also be pronounced in a cooler way –sugee (スゲ) or even sugo (すごっ)

Ossu

おっす

Hey

Image of Japanese lanterns with the phrase "おっす ossu hey" in white text. The top text reads "cool Japanese words" and the bottom shows "teamjapanese.com". These are some cool words you might not learn at school.