Many phrases that have been adopted into English “slang culture” can be credited to having come from different languages. Especially with the rise in popularity of anime and manga, K-pop and various other Korean music styles, and the increasing appreciation of Japanese culture (especially in the United States), Americans using phrases that come from different languages is increasingly common.
“Naisu” is an example of this. This post unpacks the meaning and origin of the expression.
Meaning
The term “naisu”, translated from Japanese, means “nice”. It is most commonly used in the gaming community for one gamer to compliment another on some kind of action they completed in-game. It can also be used in everyday life to tell someone they did a good job, or to comment on something they did well.
It is important to keep in mind that only other gamers or followers of Korean culture will understand the phrase.
This phrase is sometimes used as an adjective to describe an object, but its most common use is that of an interjection to compliment someone’s actions. It is used most often by members of the gaming industry, but it is slowly growing to find use in the lives of more Westerners beside just gamers. More information can be found in the video (here).
Example Usage
“Naisu! That was a good shot!”
“You won us the game! Naisu!”
“Did you see that incredible catch Johnny just made? Naisu!”
“I can’t believe you beat the entire enemy team on your own! Naisu!”
“You made it through the barricade! Naisu!”
Origin
From the early 2000s, Asian gamers (particularly those from South Korea) have dominated online gaming platforms like Twitch, and have cemented their success in certain games over other players, like Starcraft, World of Warcraft, and, most popular today, Overwatch. Despite “naisu” coming from Japanese culture and language, it is a term many Asian players use while gaming, and because of the immense number of Asian gamers on all of these platforms, the term has become widely used even by those outside of the Asian culture as a result of exposure.
The phrase became especially popular starting in 2010, when definitions of it had begun to show up on the Internet. It is believed it originally started as an imitation of an Asian accent saying “nice”. The phrase got more wide spread as “weeb” and “otaku” culture spread, being those that are big fans of Asian culture and began adopting aspects of that culture into their own day-to-day lives. As the phrase became more popular in the gaming community, it spread to other aspects of the Internet and is now something you may see on any number of social media platforms.
Phrases Similar to Naisu
- GG, or “good game”
- Nice job/nice work/etc.
- Nice play
- Nice shot
- Wow!
- Pog/poggers
Phrases Opposite to Naisu
- Lame/bad/etc.
- Terrible play
- Bad gamer
What is the Correct Saying?
- “Naisu” translates from Japanese to “nice” in English.
Ways People May Incorrectly Say Naisu
“Naisu” is a way to compliment something that someone has done, especially in the gaming community. Using this term to refer to something bad that someone has done, or something that is not particularly impressive, would be the incorrect way to use it. Some ways that “naisu” is used incorrectly are:
- That shot was so lame. Naisu!
- Your character is such a low level compared to mine. Naisu.
- I can’t believe you missed that kill when the enemy was a foot in front of you. Naisu!
- Naisu! You died the most times out of anybody on our team.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Naisu
- You shot him from 100 yards away? Naisu!
- Naisu! You took hold of the enemy fortress!
- You’re the highest level out of anyone I know that plays this game. Naisu!
- Naisu! Congrats on beating that level 50 boss!
- You have been progressing along your journey very well, Naisu!
- Your character has gotten stronger since you upgraded your weapons, Naisu.