What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of うわー (wow), すごく (very/extremely) and かっこいい (cool/good-looking).
Which one should you use?
Depending on the context and desired level of politeness, several variations can be used: すごいな！ is an informal way to say "Wow!" or "So cool!" and 本当にかっこいい！ means "Really cool!" For a more polite expression, you can use すごいですね！ to say "Wow, so cool!" or 素晴らしいです！ to say "It's wonderful!" Additionally, the slang term やばい！ can also be used to mean "Wow, so cool!"
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The default form うわー、すごくかっこいい！ is informal and is best used among friends or when reacting to something in a casual setting. For polite situations, use すごいですね！ or 素晴らしいです！ The term やばい！ is categorized as slang.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word かっこいい is an i-adjective, meaning it can be modified by adverbs like すごく to intensify the meaning.
How do you pronounce it?
uwā, sugoku kakkoii!
Did you know?
- To express an even higher level of intensity than すごく, speakers may use めちゃくちゃ, which literally means 'into a mess' or 'recklessly'.
- The word かっこいい comes from 格好 meaning 'shape' or 'form' and いい meaning 'good'. Literally, you are saying someone has a 'good shape'.
- Japanese speakers often accompany an exclamation like うわー with a physical gesture of placing both hands on their cheeks or bringing them to their mouth to emphasize their shock.
Examples in context
- 新しい車、うわー、すごくかっこいい！Atarashii kuruma, uwā, sugoku kakkoii!The new car, wow, so cool!
- うわー、すごくかっこいい！このギター、最高だね。Uwā, sugoku kakkoii! Kono gitā, saikō dane.Wow, so cool! This guitar is the best.
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are looking at a poster of a famous musician.
- 蓮 Renうわー、すごくかっこいい！Uwā, sugoku kakkoii!Wow, so cool!
- 結衣 Yui本当に。彼はスタイルもいいよね。Hontō ni. Kare wa sutairu mo ii yo ne.Really. He has a great style too, doesn't he?
- 蓮 Ren結衣もそう思う？Yui mo sō omou?Do you think so too, Yui?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、とても素敵だと思うよ。Un, totemo suteki da to omou yo.Yeah, I think he's very wonderful.
