Welcome to the Nihongo Lesson feature. We strive to give you useful manga-based Japanese language tips and maybe even a glimpse into the translation process. This week’s lesson focuses on dangerous words, literally. Manga characters just can’t help putting themselves in dangerous situations. Don’t try this at home!

Danger? Luffy from One Piece ain’t afraid of no danger!!

ABUNAI (あぶない)

ABUNAI means “dangerous” or “risky.” However, manga characters will often scream this out when something bad is about to happen. When used this way, it means something like “Watch out!” So if you see your friend about to eat spoiled food, make sure to scream this into their ear before it’s too late.

So why do manga characters love danger so much? Gon from Hunter x Hunter could have stayed on Whale Island and lived a fun life fishing and playing with his giant cat friend. But that didn’t satisfy him. Instead he seeks to become a Hunter, possibly the most dangerous job in the world! And like Goku, he gets excited when the odds are against him! One of my favorite scenes from Dragon Ball is Kuririn asking Goku if he’s excited or scared at the thought of facing Cell. Goku responds by saying “Both.”

YABAI (やばい)

YABAI means the same thing as ABUNAI but I often see it used in a more jokey manner. As if to indicate something being weird. For example, when I heard that one of our editors likes to sleep while surrounded by character pillows of all the girls from Nisekoi, my first thought was “YABAI...” as in, “Yikes, I hope he’s okay in the head.” I mean, everyone knows Chitoge is the only choice! YABAI can also be used to describe something that’s really good. Perhaps something like “These donuts are dangerously delicious!”

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