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What does “kyun-shi” mean? How is it used?

What does “kyun-shi” mean? How is it used?
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What does “kyun-shi” mean? How is it used?

I was reading a shoujo manga and died of kyun! I was watching a romance movie and died of kyun! I think many of you know the word “kyun-shi.” This time, I’d like to think a bit about that word, kyun-shi.

What is 'kyun-shi'?

dying of cutenessI don’t remember when I first learned the term itself.

It feels like I’ve known it since I was old enough to be aware...

It seems like they're not here...

I use this word every day, but I didn’t know the details, so I looked it up.

“Kyun-shi” is a portmanteau of “kyun” — the onomatopoeic word expressing a heart-squeezing, fluttery feeling (as in “my heart goes kyun”) — and “shi” (death). It refers to feeling so overcome with that heart-fluttering sensation that it feels like your heart might stop.

In other words, it refers to a state where your chest tightens from the words and actions of someone you like, you’re captivated, and left weak at the knees. By extension, being instantly swept off your feet—falling so deeply in love it feels like you might die—is referred to as “kyun-shi.”

“Kyun-shi” was a term used by Risa Koizumi, the protagonist of Aya Nakahara’s manga Love★Com, and with the manga’s film adaptation released in 2006, the term spread mainly among junior high and high school students.

Kyun-shini (kyun-jini) – Japanese Slang Dictionary

「Love★ComI was first surprised to realize that was the beginning!

I'm 20 now and belong to the generation that was just reading Love★Com, so my impression is that it's a term that has been in widespread use for quite a while.

Because it’s old, some people call it a dead expression or something like that...

But personally, kyarun-shi is definitely...Words that keep livingI think so.

as if having one’s chest grabbed tightlyUwaaaah!It really captures that feeling accurately, doesn’t it?

Kyun'ssuperlativeIsn't that the word that corresponds to it?

Very convenient.

I once asked a certain veteran maid, “What is moe?”

According to that maid,That feeling when your chest suddenly burns hot and tightens with excitementIt seems so.

"Moe" and "dying from a heart-throbbing crush"It's close, isn't it?

At this point, I'd like everyone to die from cuteness just once.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZOaC7xA6gM

How is it? Did you die from the cuteness (lol)?

idealheart-fluttering sceneIt's packed with a lot.

In romance dramas and shoujo manga, the creators set blatant traps for the audience and readers, and I fall right into them and die of cuteness.

You might even find yourself dying of cuteness over the little things your boyfriend or girlfriend does.

That moment when you lock eyes with your favorite artist at a live show is enough to make your heart skip a beat.

Ways to use it that you’re curious about

Isn’t “kyun-shi” (dying from a heart-throbbing moment) after all a rather handy word to use?

How on earth everyone is using it.

Let's take a peek into the world of Twitter here.

Classic uses

https://twitter.com/sangoyukiyama12/status/915590065195073536

Episode

https://twitter.com/grive_22/status/898901256302772226

to cute animals

https://twitter.com/yadoridzuyogeya/status/919470022992334850

https://twitter.com/anbri0211/status/915886761942720512

Even officially

Lastly

It may sound a bit old-fashioned, but there are still plenty of people who use it even now!

The reason is,It expresses feelings simply.and thatUsabilityIsn't it?

When you look into familiar words more deeply, you discover all sorts of things—it’s quite interesting.

Kyun-death—I'd love to experience it in the real world too...

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