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Japanese · At the Izakaya

おごって

ogotte

o-GOHT-teh · /oɡotte/

You're buying / treat me / your round

1/5 Grandma-safe

mild, playful; fine on daytime TV

Literally

"treat me"

Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.

How to use it

"Treat me!" — the cheeky demand a junior lobs at a senior, or a friend at the one who just got paid. Culturally loaded: the senpai (senior) traditionally does pay, so "senpai, ogotte-kudasai!" is half joke, half real expectation. The reverse, offering "ogoru yo" (my treat), earns serious goodwill.

Heard in the wild

先輩、今日おごってくださいよ〜。

Senpai, you're treating us today, right~?

Where it lands

Nationwide

Quick answers

What does "おごって" mean?
In Japanese, "おごって" means "You're buying / treat me / your round". Literally it's "treat me". "Treat me!" — the cheeky demand a junior lobs at a senior, or a friend at the one who just got paid. Culturally loaded: the senpai (senior) traditionally does pay, so "senpai, ogotte-kudasai!" is half joke, half real expectation. The reverse, offering "ogoru yo" (my treat), earns serious goodwill.
Is "おごって" offensive?
It's on the mild end — 1/5 (Grandma-safe) on the Punch-o-Meter. mild, playful; fine on daytime TV.
How do you pronounce "おごって"?
Say it "o-GOHT-teh" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: oɡotte.

Related in Japanese

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