くそっ
kuso
The Japanese phrase "damn it" is expressed as くそっ (kuso).
The word くそ is a very common, blunt interjection used when one makes a mistake or experiences a sudden setback. It serves as an expression of surprise, outrage or frustration.
Meaning: an expression of surprise, outrage, or frustration (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The word くそ literally means 'shit' or 'excrement'.
Which one should you use?
While くそ is a common blunt interjection, ちくしょう！ is a versatile and commonly used casual expression to convey frustration. For a much stronger and offensive slang term meaning 'damn it' or 'piece of shit', you can use クソったれ！
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding a small 'tsu' (っ) at the end of the word to form くそっ creates a glottal stop, which is used to express sudden frustration or a sharp, clipped outburst.
How do you pronounce it?
kuso
Did you know?
- The word くそ is often used as a prefix to intensify adjectives, similar to how 'damn' or 'bloody' functions in English. For example, くそ忙しい means 'damn busy'.
- In real-life speech, the clipped sound represented by the small つ in くそっ is often performed as a sharp intake of breath instead of a vocal sound.
- While くそ is blunt, you might notice it written in Katakana as クソ in manga or advertisements. This stylistic choice is often used to give the word a more graphical, 'dirty', or impactful sensation on the page.
Examples in context
- 私のプレゼンテーションが上手くいかなかった… くそっ！My presentation didn't go well… Damn it!
- 試験でまた落ちた… ちくしょう！I failed the exam again… Damn it!
- くそっ、遅刻だ！kuso, chikoku da!Damn it, I'm late!
- くそっ、財布を忘れた。kuso, saifu o wasureta.Damn it, I forgot my wallet.
- くそっ、また雨か。kuso, mata ame ka.Damn it, rain again.
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are playing a video game.
- 美咲 Misakiくそっ、あと少しだったのに！Kuso, ato sukoshi datta noni!Damn it, I was so close!
- 大翔 Hiroto惜しかったね、美咲。Oshikatta ne, Misaki.That was close, Misaki.
- 美咲 Misakiもう一回挑戦するよ。Mou ikkai chousen suru yo.I'm going to try one more time.
- 大翔 Hirotoいいよ、大翔が応援するよ。Ii yo, Hiroto ga ouen suru yo.Sure, Hiroto will cheer you on.
