くそ
-kuso
In Japanese, くそ (-kuso) (kuso) is used to say "crap" or "damn".
くそ is an interjection used to express frustration, anger, annoyance or disappointment, similar to saying "damn" or "shit" in English. It can also function as an intensifier when placed before an adjective to mean "extremely" or "damn".
What does it mean word for word?
The word is derived from the Japanese word for feces or excrement.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
くそ is a vulgar and informal term used among friends to express mild annoyance or frustration casually. Because it is vulgar, you should avoid using it in polite or professional conversations. The form くそったれ is even more direct and impolite than くそ.
How do you pronounce it?
-kuso
Did you know?
- In certain contexts, くそ can function as a second person pronoun, effectively calling the person being spoken to 'shit'.
- When used as an intensifier, くそ can be used to describe things that are not negative, such as saying something is 'damn delicious' or 'damn cute'.
- The even more aggressive version, くそったれ (kusottare), attaches the suffix たれ (tare), which originally referred to someone who 'drips' or 'oozes' something.
Examples in context
- Kuso! Ki wo tsukete aruita no ni koronde shimatta. (くそ！気をつけて歩いたのに転んでしまった。)Crap! I tripped even though I was being careful.
- くそ、忘れた！kuso, wasureta!Damn, I forgot!
- くそ、間に合わない。kuso, maniawanai.Shit, I'm not going to make it.
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are walking when Ren trips and drops his phone.
- 蓮 Renあ、くそ！a, kuso!Ah, damn it!
- 美咲 Misaki大丈夫？daijoubu?Are you okay?
- 蓮 Renスマホを落とした。sumaho o otoshita.I dropped my phone.
- 美咲 Misakiひどい、大丈夫そう？hidoi, daijoubu sou?That's terrible, does it look okay?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry くそ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries くそ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
