Japanese · Insults
ダサい
dasai
dah-SIGH · /dasai/
Lame / tacky / uncool
1/5 Grandma-safe
mild, playful; fine on daytime TV
Literally
"unfashionable / uncool"
Word-for-word — which is rarely what it means.
How to use it
The precise Japanese word for "lame" — dorky clothes, a cringe pickup line, an embarrassing car. Not aggressive, just withering. Peak teen-and-twenties vocabulary; the cruelest thing a Japanese high-schooler can say about your outfit.
Heard in the wild
その財布、ちょっとダサくない?
That wallet's kind of tacky, no?
Where it lands
Nationwide
Quick answers
- What does "ダサい" mean?
- In Japanese, "ダサい" means "Lame / tacky / uncool". Literally it's "unfashionable / uncool". The precise Japanese word for "lame" — dorky clothes, a cringe pickup line, an embarrassing car. Not aggressive, just withering. Peak teen-and-twenties vocabulary; the cruelest thing a Japanese high-schooler can say about your outfit.
- Is "ダサい" 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 "ダサい"?
- Say it "dah-SIGH" — capitals mark the stressed syllable. In IPA: dasai.
Related in Japanese
のろま noroma no-RO-mah Slowpoke / dead weight キモい kimoi KEE-moy Gross / creepy / disgusting うざい uzai oo-ZYE Annoying / a pain in the ass 最低 saitei sigh-TAY The worst / despicable / how low 弱虫 yowamushi yo-wah-MOO-shee Coward / wimp / chicken クソ食らえ kuso kurae KOO-so koo-RAH-eh Eat shit / to hell with it
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