Zotto suru (ぞっとする) or “to shudder”įor things that go bump in the night or fill you with suspense and shock, zotto suru is the way to go. In this instance, osore irimasu directly translates to, “I’m terribly sorry, but… ” Best used to objectively denote the intensity of a calamity, natural disaster (such as the recent Typhoon Hagibis) or other event osoroshii denotes something highly destructive or traumatic.
Staff may tell you: “Osore irimasu,” when responding to a request or inquiry that is just not feasible. You may have heard a form of osoroshii when at a bank, government office or retail store. That fairy tattoo on your ankle? Grandmas in onsen (hot springs typically don’t allow tattoos) might think you’re kowai, but your friends may think your body art is kawaii. Note that interpretations of kawaii and kowai can vary throughout cultures: Overlapping, crooked teeth known as yaeba? Kawaii to some Japanese, startlingly kowai to those who come from countries where perfectly aligned teeth are the norm. Why is this word on the list? Because there isn’t a person new to Japan who hasn’t committed a linguistic faux pas with kowai, the term for “scary,” and kawaii, the term for “cute.” Semantic mishaps aside, some might argue that this country’s obsession with all things kawaii is downright creepy and kowai, so perhaps it has rightfully earned its place on this list. So note the nearest exit, turn on all the lights and make sure your phone is fully charged and ready to dial 119 because the horror starts now! 1. You will find that a majority of these spooky words and phrases are near-perfect translations of their English equivalents, making them easy to remember for future use.
Whether you are a fan of zombies, the occult or just looking to expand your Japanese Halloween vocabulary, this month let’s go beyond kowai ( 怖 ( こわ )い), the Japanese word for “scary,” to express some of our deepest, darkest fears. 31-with correspondingly awesome costumes. While summer in Japan is actually the prime time for ghost stories, haunted destinations, and horror movies Halloween’s popularity means that thrill-seekers and paranormal truthers get to extend their love for the gory, gruesome and grotesque until Oct.