How to use Hutsuni in Japanese

Have you ever heard the word Hutsuni in Japanese?

• “This fried chicken is hutsuni delicious.”
• “That TV idol is hutsuni cute.”
• “I was hutsuni busy today.”

The past few years have seen a change in the way the word “hutsuni” is used by young people.
How delicious is “hutsuni” delicious?
The nuance is, it is not extremely delicious… but not bad.
“Hutsuni” means something equivalent to “so-so,” “as expected,” or “of a standard level.”
So, when you eat something your friends took the time to make, it  would be rude if you were to say “hutsuni delicious!”
It’s better to say－“Delicious,” “Really delicious,” or “It’s my first time to try this, and it’s delicious.”
Here are some situations where you can say “hutsuni”:

At a Japanese pub franchise,
“How’s the fried chicken?”
“Hutsuni delicious!”
When talking about fast fashion clothes,
“I like that shirt.”
“Yes, it’s hutsuni comfortable.”
When talking about work,
“How are things recently?”
“I’m hutsuni busy.”

By the way, what is the original usage of “hutsu”?
“Hutsu” and “general” seem similar, but they are used quite differently.
“General” means that “most people” or “everyone” is doing something.
On the other hand, that is not necessarily the case when someone says “hutsu.”
“Hutsu, I roast coffee beans myself. I make my own beer as well.”
“I go swimming in the sea even in winter. It’s hutsu for me.”
See?
When people say “hutsu, …” we discover unique things about them. That is because there are many things that “only they consider hutsu.”
When you find yourself assuming that something is hutsu, maybe it is just you that finds it “hutsu.”
You might think “We don’t need to talk about such a hutsu thing.”
But that “hutsu” is your uniqueness.
So, please do not be afraid to talk about things in your class which you find so “hutsu” that you think you do not need to talk about them.
If your classmates tell you
“Wow, really!?” “It’s only you that thinks that way!” , then it is a big success!
About the Author – Yumi Yoshida from Tohoku has 16 years experience as a Japanese Language Teacher. Yumi loves hiking, traveling and drinking Japanese Sake. She thinks that the best way to learn Japanese is from fun and friendly conversation.

 
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