Have you ever wondered where the Japanese words “やばい (yabai)” and “オタク(otaku)” come from? 🤔📚

tomo-japanese
May 3
2 min read

Both of these words are super common in modern Japanese. 🇯🇵

If you’ve watched anime, chatted with Japanese friends, or scrolled through social media, you’ve probably seen them a lot.

But did you know that their original meanings were completely different from how they’re used today?

Let’s start with “やばい (yabai).”

Today, this word is everywhere!

You might hear people say “This sushi is yabai!🤤” (meaning “so delicious!”) or “I forgot my homework… yabai!😰” (meaning “I’m in trouble!”).

It’s one of those cool slang words that can mean something good or bad, depending on the tone and situation.

But originally, “yabai” only had a negative meaning. In the Edo period (1600s–1800s), it was used by thieves and gamblers as a kind of secret code.

They said “yabai” to warn each other about danger, especially if the police were nearby.

It meant something like “This place is risky” or “Watch out!” Over time, young people started using it in casual conversation, and its meaning slowly changed. Today, it’s one of the most flexible words in Japanese.😊

Now let’s look at “オタク(otaku)”.

These days, “otaku” is used to describe people who are deeply into a hobby—especially anime, manga, video games, or trains.

In English too, “otaku” is often used to mean an anime fan.😍

But actually, the word “otaku” started as a very polite way to say “you.”

In the 1980s, many anime fans used this word when talking to each other politely.

For example: “Otaku wa doko kara kimashita ka?” (“Where are you from?”)

Little by little, people outside the community started using “otaku” to refer to those polite anime fans — and eventually, it became the word we know today.