かっこいい人
The Japanese phrase for "cool person" is かっこいい人.
かっこいい人 is used to describe a cool person. The adjective かっこいい can also be used as an exclamation on its own to mean "That's cool!" or "How cool!"
What does it mean word for word?
The term かっこいい is a combination of kakko (appearance/shape) and ii (good), which literally means "good appearance".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more formal way to say "an attractive person", you can use 魅力的な人. On the informal side, you can use かっこいい to mean "cool" or クールな人 for "a cool person".
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun 人 (person) follows the adjective かっこいい directly without needing a particle like na because かっこいい is an i-adjective.
Did you know?
- The concept of 'cool' in Japan is often tied to 粋 (iki), an aesthetic ideal of sophisticated, understated elegance and urbanity that predates the modern かっこいい.
- In modern Japanese slang, people sometimes shorten かっこいい to just かっけー when speaking informally with friends to sound more casual or 'street'.
- In some contexts, calling someone クール can actually be a subtle criticism, suggesting the person is cold or distant rather than 'cool' in a positive way.
Examples in context
- 大阪の若者はみんなカッチョいい！All the young people in Osaka are cool!
- 彼はとてもかっこいい人ですね。Kare wa totemo kakkoii hito desu ne.He is a very cool person, isn't he?
- かっこいい人が好きです。Kakkoii hito ga suki desu.I like cool people.
- あそこに、かっこいい人がいます。Asoko ni, kakkoii hito ga imasu.There is a cool person over there.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a famous actor.
- 陽葵 Himariあの俳優は、本当にかっこいい人だね。Ano haiyu wa, hontou ni kakkoii hito da ne.That actor is a truly cool person, isn't he?
- 大翔 Hirotoそうだね。すごくかっこいい人だよ。Sou da ne. Sugoku kakkoii hito da yo.That's true. He is a very cool person.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔さんは、どんな人がタイプ？Hiroto-san wa, donna hito ga taipu?Hiroto, what kind of person do you like?
- 大翔 Hiroto僕は、優しい人が好きだよ。Boku wa, yasashii hito ga suki da yo.I like kind people.
