It’s often claimed that “f*ck,” one of the most offensive words in the English language, is the most versatile word in any modern lexicon.
It’s true, the F-word can be used to express a wide range of feelings and concepts. There’s its actual verbal state, and then its many innumerable adverbs and exclamations. One can f*ck about. Tell someone to f*ck off. You can even have a f*cking great midday nap – to name only a few examples.
The assumption, however, is that other languages lack such multi-use vocab. Words so adaptable that you can use them to express exact opposite sentiments without batting an eye.
But that isn’t exactly true. After all, just look at the Japanese language. Just look at “yabai!”
“Yabai” (やばい, often stylized ヤバい) actually shares much in common with “f*ck.” The major difference, obviously, is that yabai isn’t really an offensive word. (While Japan lacks expletives in the English sense, it does have plenty of rude words – and taboo ones as well.) It is, however, a very slangy one, often associated with youth culture. An extremely prominent reaction word, yabai is also ridiculously versatile. Let’s take a look at its definition(s) in the ever-popular Japanese-English dictionary site jisho.org:
So, yabai ranges from dangerous to awful to amazing to unhinged. Amazingly enough, though, this is just scraping the surface of the depths of yabai. Let’s go even deeper.
Yabai: That’s Crazy, Man
To earn a deeper understanding of a word’s place in a lexicon, you can look to its etymology. And yabai has an interesting history.
It’s said that yabai originated in the world of thieves and ne’er-do-wells that populated the darker corners of Edo era Japan. (1603-1867.) It developed from the word yaba (厄場, やば), an archaic term for jailhouse. In the roguish lingo of Edo lawbreakers, yabai was employed to warn compatriots that they might be in danger of being caught in a criminal act.
The word outlasted the fall of the samurai and the modernization of Japan. It escaped its original sketchy niche and exploded into popular usage following World War II. At first, yabai maintained its original sense of connoting approaching danger. [1] As we’ve seen, though, the word has taken on a number of contrasting meanings in the decades since.
Yabai truly took on its second life once it emerged as a wakamonokotoba (若者言葉), a word in vogue with young people. This was the point where its uses split not only in twain – but, seemingly, into well over two-dozen separate meanings.
Our handy yabai chart breaks it down for you
Want to see just how many ways you can use the word? Take a look at this handy-dandy chart compiled by Twitter user @kenlife202010.
Kentaro broke yabai‘s usages into six categories. First is “emotion,” then “evaluation,” “taste,” “temperature,” “price,” and lastly “status.” These are further broken down into twenty separate subcategories. Best of all for those trying to learn about the word’s diverse utility, Kentaro also includes example sentences. (The often vague and contradictory nature of yabai is demonstrated by the occasional repeating sentence carrying the exact opposite meaning.)
I’ve taken the liberty of translating Kentaro’s chart:
This gives a pretty good rundown of just how frequently the meaning of yabai can fluctuate. You can also rest assured that there really are people out there who would use yabai in all of these situations.
In fact, the sheer amount of use the word gets, often replacing more precise terms, isn’t something the whole of Japanese society celebrates. There are those sounding the alarm about the perceived diminishment of Japanese youths’ vocabularies.
In other words, some people think things are getting quite yabai out there.
Yabai: an Invasive Species in the Vocabulary of Japan’s Youth?
There’s no denying the utility of this term we’ve spent the past paragraphs exploring. For young Japanese people, the word can be used quickly, unthinkingly. And yet can express an incredibly wide range of concepts.
Peers are likely to understand the implied meaning immediately, with the tone of voice and context carrying the day. But as useful as the word is, not everyone is a fan. Like so many aspects of youth culture, parents have found something to worry about with yabai.
The word replaces a wide variety of other potential words the speaker could have chosen. “Subarashii” (incredible), “kandou shita” (“it moved me”), “ayashii” (“sketchy”), and so many more. This leaves some parents concerned if their children will develop and maintain the varied vocabulary necessary to function well in school, work, and society at large.
This exact source of concern is the topic of an article on Manabico, an education-focused website for parents. The post has an attention-grabbing title: “The Yabai-ness that Lurks in the Versatility of ‘Yabai’ – How Can You Increase Your Child’s Vocabulary??” [2] The article makes use of a survey given to Japanese parents regarding their children’s usage of the word, as well as feelings of confidence in their own vocabulary range.
The article argues for the importance of a wide lexicon for reading comprehension, explanatory skills, understanding, and communication as a whole. It urges parents to find ways to introduce their children to new words.
Yabai, the article claims, is not in and of itself an abnormal word. Nonetheless, it warns that kids could allow the phrase to interfere with their ability to express themselves.
A Word to the Wise
Included in the Manabico article are the survey results regarding the frequency of the ways in which people use yabai in conversation.
Coming in at #1 is as an expression of “ayashii” – when something feels suspicious or dodgy. Close on ayashii’s heels was the use of the word to express surprise. Next was to state that something was interesting or funny.
A bit lower in terms of percentage were the uses of the term to express that something was “fun,” “tasty,” “moving,” or inspired nervousness. Interestingly, the 8th most common response to the survey was that the parent simply didn’t understand what their child meant when they said “yabai.”
The survey also included other options which go beyond the twenty meanings contained in Kentaro’s chart above. Some examples: Big, small, fast, slow, long, short, heavy, light, and sluggish. The functionality of yabai is truly a force to be reckoned with.
So, whether a Japanese language learner, or a befuddled native parent worrying over your child’s diminished eloquence, there’s plenty of reason to get a grasp on yabai. In a sense, it’s an easy word to use – just add the emotional inflection you want to word to express, and let it rip. Mastery, however, may be another issue entirely. Just like the delicate and nuanced application of the English “f*ck,” skillful usage of yabai is a thing to behold. May your experience with the word be totally yabai; anything else would be pretty yabai.
Sources
[1] (2016.05.31). マジでヤバい若者言葉にも歴史があるって本当？ KanjiCafe.
[2] (2018/04/16).「やばい」の多様さに潜むヤバさ ― お子さんの語彙力、どう育てる？？ Manabico.
