Anime Exclamations!

I’ve been studying Japanese on and off for a while. I wouldn’t say that I was an expert or fluent, but I have picked up a thing or two over the years! And one thing that has made a huge difference in my learning is the realization that learning doesn’t have to be a miserable chore. If anything, learning a language should be fun! When you were a baby you didn’t learn your first language because you liked to do boring miserable things, it’s because you liked making sounds and watching the people around you react in some way. You were having fun!

My thought processes about Japanese language learning were very simple, I first got into learning the language because I wanted to understand anime better. So why not watch anime to understand Japanese better? And much like babies do, I found that learning the single word exclamations was the fastest and easiest way to learn and use the language immediately. Instead of fussing over grammar and sentence structure, I could start using real Japanese in real life within minutes! Now that’s the kind of hard work and patience I like putting into studying!

I’m not saying that you can have a full and deep conversation with a native Japanese speaker with just using exclamations (though that would be a fun challenge!) but you can do a lot with just exclamations. For example, your brother informs you that he just polished off the last of your favorite breakfast cereal and you haven’t even gotten one bowl of it! You could exclaim, “Nani?!” (What?!). See, you just express dismay and protest all in one word, easy! The best part is that exclamations are super easy to hear in anime, and they are usually full and complete statements in just one or two words.

To get you started on you anime exclaiming journey, I’ve collected a list of anime’s top 100 exclamations!

1 . Kawaii = cute!
2 . Kowai = scary!

Some people get Kawaii and Kowai mixed up and end up calling teddy bears scary and horror movies cute. Here’s an easy way to remember which one is which. Just remember that Kawaii rhymes with Hawaii where cute tropical fish live. Kowai sounds like the first half of Qui-et and you should be quiet if a scary monster is around!

3 . Itadakimasu = thanks for the food!
4 . Hentai = pervert!
5 . Baka = idiot!
6 . Ohaiyo = good morning!
7 . Muri muri = impossible!
8 . Saiko = great!
9 . Kakkoii = cool
10 . Kirei = beautiful!
11 . Ja ne = later!
12 . Sumimasen = excuse me!
13 . Ittai = ouch!
14 . Samui = cold!
15 . Subarashii = spectacular!
16 . Oishi = delicious!
17 . Hayaku = hurry!
18 . Fuwa fuwa = fluffy!
19 . Gomenasai = sorry!

Gomenasai (Go-men-na-sigh) is a slightly more formal way of saying I’m sorry. If an anime character is talking to a close friend/family member or they aren’t really that sorry they might say Gomen Gomen! which is more like My bad!

20 . Okii = giant!
21 . Oniisan = big brother!
22 . Aniki = big bro!
23 . Onnesan! = big sister!
24 . Annesan = big sister!
25 . Otosan = dad!
26 . Okasan = mom!
27 . Onnegai = please!
28 . Chisai = tiny!
29 . Abunnai = danger!
30 . Bakemono = monster!
31 . Zen zen = never!
32 . Ureishii = I’m happy!
33 . Umi = sea!
34 . Mi te = look!
35 . Tabete = eat it!
36 . Daisuki = love!
37 . Suki = like!

Both Suki and Daisuki don’t really have a pronounced U in the middle of the word. So Suki isn’t pronounced Soo-kee, it’s just Ski, like the sport. Likewise, Daisuki isn’t pronounced Da-ee-soo-kee, it’s Die-ski.

38 . Moto Moto = more and more!
39 . Kochira = this way!
40 . Mo ikai = one more time!
41 . Mo ii = Can I?!
42 . Hanase = tell me!
43 . Oki te = wake up!
44 . Oyasuminasai = good night!
45 . De wa = well then!
46 . Ano = um!
47 . Wakata = I know!
48 . Uso = liar!
49 . Shinde = die!
50 . Matte = wait!
51 . Chotto matte = just a moment!
52 . Dekita = finished!
53 . Ganbatte = you can do it!
54 . Anata = you!
55 . Yokatta = thank goodness!

Though Yokatta might be pretty common in anime, it can often sound like the anime character is saying Yukata (a light weight Summer kimono) when they are sighing in relief. So be careful of this one!

56 . Kamisama = my Lord!
57 . Youkoso = welcome!
58 . Obeneto = congratulations!
59 . Irasshai = welcome back!
60 . Chotto = a bit!
61 . Zuto zuto = more and more!
62 . Tasukute = help me!
63 . Iya da = don’t want to!
64 . Iku denai = don’t go!
65 . Nani = what?!
66 . Sore wa = that’s . . . !
67 . Muri ja nai = it’s not impossible!
68 . Omoi = heavy!
69 . Yamete! = Stop!
70 . Chigai! = You’re wrong!

Chigai (Chee-guy) is sometimes pronounced as Chigao (Chee-gow) but they mean the same thing!

71 . Daijobu? = Are you alright?!
72 . Watashi wa! = I . . . !
73 . Naze?! = Why?!
74 . Dochira?! = Which one?!
75 . Doko?! = Where?!
76 . Dare?! = Who?!
77 . Ka?! = Huh?!
78 . kimoi! = gross!
79 . tanoshi = fun!
80 . Urusai = shut up!

81 . Aishiteru = I love you! (in a non platonic way)
82 . Demo! = but!
83 . Hime sama = princess!
84 . Ouji sama = prince!
85 . Shishou = master!
86 . Megane = my glasses!
87 . Chikai = too close!
88 . Betsuni = not really!
89 . Chu = smooch!
90 . Unmei = it’s fate!

Unmei was used quite often in the anime Night Beyond the Tricornered Window, mostly by Rihito, usually when he was talking about or to Mikado.

91 . Atsui = too hot!
92 . Hage = baldy!

Hage can be heard a lot in the first few episodes of The Case Study of Vanitas, as Vanitas taunts Dante.

93 . So desu = that’s true!
94 . Suteki = nice!
95 . Utsukushi = elegant!
96 . Obaba = old hag!
97 . Bancho = Boss! (usually used by anime gang members)
98 . Senpai = Senior!

Senpai is a classic exclamation in anime and is used very often in school settings to address someone of a higher level. Senpai has an accompanying diminutive word to address someone of lower level (Kohai) but oddly enough is rarely used as an exclamation in anime.