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“Usseewa” meaning

Ado · 2020 · 🇯🇵 Tokyo · Level C1

Ado's 2020 debut at 17: "Usseewa" — shut up! A furious rejection of society's rules. Rough, fast Japanese.

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What the song is about

“Usseewa” (うっせぇわ) is a rude, slurred way of saying “shut up!” — and Ado, only 17 when she released it in 2020, sings it at everyone who lectures her: the bosses with their manners, the people who tell you what's normal and correct. She's been polite, she's followed the rules, and she's had enough.

The song became a phenomenon in Japan, a little scandalous for its language and hugely popular with young people tired of social pressure — especially office culture.

It's C1: very fast, with deliberately rough pronunciation. But the key words are clear and very useful for understanding modern Japan: common sense, society, correct, normal.

Slang and key words

The slang and key words to know before you listen. Words with an arrow have their own slang page.

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Level C1 · Fast, rough, slang

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