えらい
erai
🇯🇵 Japanese slang from Osaka
What does “えらい” mean?
really, awfully
Example
“今日、駅えらい混んでるなあ”
kyō, eki erai konderu nā
The station's awfully crowded today
Good to know
In Tokyo えらい means 'admirable, good job'; in Kansai it's also 'very' or 'exhausting'.
Who you can say it to
Fine with anyone
☕ Everyday
The textbook way to say it: すごく
Heard in a conversation
Haggling at Kuromon market
Obachan 一パック八百円。ぎょうさん入っとるで。
Eight hundred yen a pack. There's loads in it.
Yuto えらい高いなあ。ちょっとまけて、おばちゃん！
That's awfully pricey. Knock a bit off, auntie!
Obachan なんでやねん！もう朝からまけてんのに。
Oh come on! I've been knocking it down since this morning.
More from Osaka
- めっちゃsuper, so
- ほんまreally, true
- あかんno good, not allowed, no way
- ちゃうno, that's not it
- せやなyeah, true
- 知らんけど…but what do I know
- わからへんI don't get it
- ぎょうさんloads, lots
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