Learn Japanese Today

I know you’re watching the Olympics. You have to. You’re probably watching the Olympics right now while you’re reading this. And of course you cheer for your favorite athletes. You yell at the screen. Why not yell in Japanese?

がんばれ！(ganbare!): This is a fairly common phrase that means “do your best,” but is also used in the same context as the English “good luck.” The Japanese don’t need luck. They just do their best. This cheer is appropriate for just about any activity, but is somewhat on the tame side.

行け！(ike!): Not to be confused with the word for “pond,” this word is a rough command form of “GO!” Use this word repeatedly to cheer people on in races or any contests where speed is involved.

速く、速く！(hayaku, hayaku!): Equivalent to the English “Faster, FASTER!” or “Hurry up!” Again, it should be used for contests of speed, especially if your athlete is behind.

勝って！(katte!): This command does not beat around the bush. It means “WIN!” Good for any sport, especially towards the end.

勝った！(katta!): Another derivative of the word katsu (to win), this is a celebratory cheer meaning “We Won!”

やった！(yatta!): This is possibly the simplest exclamation on the list, it’s another celebratory cheer meaning “Hooray!”

こいつを破れ！(koitsu o yabure): This is a fun one, and you may want to be careful who you say it around. It means “destroy those guys.” Use this one in a game between bitter rivals. For “destroy that guy” change koitsu to aitsu.

ぜんぜん負けられない！(zenzen makerarenai!): This one is a defiant cheer meaning “We can’t possibly lose!” Good for when your team is up against the wall.

まさか (masaka): This expression of despair is something along the lines of “Oh, no” “It can’t be” or “Goddammit” depending on the level of emphasis. This is a good thing to say when your athlete either loses or underperforms.

チェ!  (che!): It may not sound like it, but this exclamation means pretty close to the English “Shit!” It’s good to show an outburst of anger, like when an opponent does something well.

Print this list out and start actually enjoying the Olympics. See if you can use each word at least once in a single event. Ganbare!

Trackback URI | Comments RSS