Japanese "gal language" is a special slang used by young Japanese girls called “gyaru” or gals. Their lingo is hard to understand for not only foreign people but also Japanese people, too.
Here are some expressions to help you communicate with Japanese gals, or in case you wish to listen in on a conversation.
Agepoyo – high tension Torima – Anyway Kamitteru – Awesome like god Pachikoku – Tell a lie Pagal – Not complete gal Ukepii – Funny Oolong cha – annoying, long hair, brown colored hair Arasick – crazy fan of Arashi (Japanese boy band) Otsu hamunida – combination of “Otsukaresama” and “~desu” in Korean language Atonsu – Thank you
For example, the word, “Pagal” comes from “Chuto-hanpa” (incomplete) and “Gal.” Of course, the gal talk is changing and adding new words all the time.
If you know some gal language which isn’t in this article, let us know.
© Japan Today
18 Comments
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Pukey2
Uh-oh. Don't let the right-wingers know.
I couldn't have picked a better word myself!
Ari94
It is a very nice and never ending topic Japanese Gal's language. Started by the introduction of mobile phone with internet connection and high school gals started building their community by using gal's language. Here are some words I still remember.
Cho-beri-gu (very/extremely good) Yamahando (Yamanote LIne) Makuru (Go to Mc Donald's) Amura (Namie Amuro's fan) Icha icha (Love Love)
Sorry I can't recall further may be next time.
sillygirl
i should hope i NEVER know any garu language.
timtak
I use words like "kamitteru" a lot. For instance, "amitteru" for "it is raining" (ame ga futteiru) because it seems to me that having a subject or object is inappropriate in a lot of circumstances. Am I a gal?
sillygirl
@timtak - maybe you should check!! just kidding
Raymasaki
wow this is BAD, as in NOT Good. why would you wanna learn koGal terms? they are like valley Girls. & IF you use these terms/words as a Gaijin You WILL be looked upon as a nerdy Otaku for sure!
pawatan
You'd use them to amuse others, not for serious conversation. Always good fun to use words with your friends that are ridiculous for you to use.
shirokuma2011
High school girls (and boys) have been playing with the language like this since long before mobile phones came along (anyone remember "wan-patan" for "to leave/make an exit"--after the sound a doggy door makes as it swings shut?), and I think it shows real creativity--if, perhaps, not a great deal of intelligence--and plays nicely off of the the building-block nature of the Japanese language.
Philomena Marino
Do they still use ehchiii (H-chiii) for hentai ? Arasick is is hysterical ,I must say .
bicultural
Interesting article. I must say I didn't know most of those. I'm still stuck at "MK5." It would be fun to see another article about recent words that working adults use, like "guguru" = look something up on the internet. How about it, JT?
Victor Boggio
This word was covered here back in Feb.
[HD] あげぽよ = agepoyo \(^0^)/ J-Gals' Slang Words http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNsV0MkDV8s
At the time it was posted even most mainstream Japanese didn't seem to know it. But as you can in the beginning they do a good job of explaining what it means.
Victor Boggio
But this article as some new words I've never heard of. I'll be sure to use them to stump my young cool students.
nath
Those phone things confuse me.
nath
NO foreigner should be using garu language. It's not cool. It's not cute. It's just ridiculous. Let them who choose to give themselves fake tans and skin cancer speak it. If caught doing so, you'll look and sound just as uneducated as the garu do and consequently be put in a wood chipper a la the movie Fargo. Let's throw Croc wearers in there for good measure too. :p
nath
I'm Japanese, but even I cant understand.....young girls are crazy!
Steve Junior
There are times and places when even male foreignors can use this lingual. U know, in a playful manner or to be flirty amongst these so called crazy girls. Silly fools, girls just want to have fun.
Kanzato Himura
BiSH ( Idol group) often mention the word agepoyo ... and that's what brought me here