Happy Sunday Japanophiles, Herewith the 78th issue of the Hai Japan Newsletter — your Weekly Dose of Japan!

Today, we’re simply going through…

How Japanese People Speak Online – Internet Slang 101

Japanese on social media is fast, funny, and often makes no grammatical sense at all—but that’s the charm.

This issue is your crash course on how to read, understand, and even use the most common Japanese internet and social slang phrases. You'll start spotting these on LINE, X (Twitter), TikTok, YouTube, and Discord comments.

Common Internet Slang

www → The Japanese version of “LOL”
This comes from the verb warau (笑う, to laugh). Just one “w” means a smile, while “wwwwww” means something is hilarious.
Example:
めっちゃおもろいwww
(Meccha omoroi www)
→ This is super funny, LOL.

乙 or おつ (otsu) → “Good job” or “Thanks for your effort”
Short for otsukaresama. Used at the end of group chats, games, or after shared tasks.
Example:
今日は乙〜
(Kyō wa otsu〜)
→ Good work today!

草 (kusa) → Slang for laughter
Why? Because a bunch of “w”s looks like grass (wwwww). So instead of typing all those “w”s, people just say “kusa.”
Example:
それ草すぎる
(Sore kusa sugiru)
→ That’s way too funny.

リア充 (riajū) → “Normies” or people with a fulfilling offline life
This includes people with partners, hobbies, or fun social lives. Sometimes used mockingly.
Example:
また彼女とデートかよ、リア充め！
(Mata kanojo to dēto kayo, riajū me!)
→ Another date with your girlfriend? Lucky normie!

りょ (ryo) → “Got it” or “Okay”
A short version of ryōkai (了解), often seen in quick text replies.
Example:
明日10時ね！
(Ashita jūji ne!)
→ Tomorrow at 10!
りょ！
(Ryo!)
→ Got it!

ガチ (gachi) → “Seriously” / “No joke”
Used to show something is 100% real or serious.
Example:
ガチで泣いた
(Gachi de naita)
→ I seriously cried.

エモい (emoi) → Emotional / nostalgic / aesthetic
Comes from “emotional.” A catch-all for anything that gives you feels.
Example:
この曲エモすぎる
(Kono kyoku emo sugiru)
→ This song hits me in the feels.

バズる (bazuru) → To go viral
Derived from “buzz.”
Example:
このツイートバズった！
(Kono tsuīto bazutta!)
→ This tweet went viral!

Grammar + Style Notes

Particles often get dropped.
Typing is fast-paced, so you’ll often see grammar particles like を、に、は dropped.
Example:
ご飯食べた？
(Gohan tabeta?)
→ Did you eat?
Not: ご飯を食べた？

Emoji replace tone.
Japanese speakers use emoji to show tone or mood:

• 😂 ← Used with 草 or www

• 😭 ← ガチ泣き (gachi naki = really crying)

• 🙏 ← よろしく！(yoroshiku = nice to meet you / please take care of it)

Sentence endings get casual.

• 〜だよね (da yo ne) → You agree, right?

• 〜じゃん (jan) → Isn’t it? Come on!

• 〜やばい (yabai) → Woah / oh no / awesome depending on tone

Try This: Rewrite It Like a Netizen

Polite form:
今日は友達とカフェに行きました。
(Kyō wa tomodachi to kafe ni ikimashita.)
→ I went to a cafe with a friend today.

Now make it casual:
友達とカフェ行った〜
(Tomodachi to kafe itta〜)
→ Went to a cafe with a friend〜

Even more slangy:
カフェなう☕️
(Kafe nau ☕️)
→ At the cafe now (nau = now)

Common Internet Comment Phrases

• わかる (wakaru) = I feel you

• それな (sore na) = For real / Exactly

• 最高 (saikō) = Amazing!

• 神 (kami) = God-tier

• 〜しか勝たん (〜shika katan) = [X] is the best / nothing beats it
  Example: 猫しか勝たん (neko shika katan) → Cats are the best

🚨 Quick Warning

Don’t use this style in formal emails or class. Net slang is fun and friendly—but very casual. Learn it, use it with Japanese friends or on social media, but know when to switch back to formal Japanese.

📝 Mini Practice Challenge

Pick a sentence and “netify” it.

1. 今日学校に行きました。

2. 試験はとても難しかったです。

3. 友達とゲームをしました。

Try turning them into fun, short messages a Japanese teenager might send online.