Otakulang – Words You Hear in Anime

What Does “Yaru” Mean in Anime? Explanation & Usage

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1. Quick Definition (TL;DR)

  • Kanji/Kana: やる (Sometimes 殺る for “kill” or 遣る for “give/send”)
  • Romaji: Yaru
  • English Meaning:
    1. To do / To perform (Casual)
    2. To give (to a pet, plant, or someone lower in status)
    3. To kill / To defeat / To wreck (Slang)
    4. To have sex (Slang)
  • Pronunciation Guide: “Yah-roo” (Rhymes with “kangaroo”)

2. Deep Dive: The “Otaku” Nuance

Welcome to one of the biggest linguistic minefields in the Japanese language! Yaru is the ultimate chameleon word in anime. Depending on the scene, the music, and who is speaking, this single word can shift from a mundane task to a declaration of murder, or even a dirty joke.

In standard dictionaries, Yaru is just a more casual, rougher version of Suru (to do). But in Anime logic, it carries a much heavier punch.

When a Shonen protagonist screams “Ore ga yaru!” (俺がやる), he isn’t just saying “I will perform this administrative task.” He is saying, “I’ll handle this,” “I’ll take him down,” or “I’ll finish this fight.” It implies action, force, and resolve.

However, you have to be extremely careful. Because it implies a raw physical action, Yaru is also the standard slang for “sleeping with someone.” If you use this word wrong in a slice-of-life anime (or real life), you might accidentally tell your friends you slept with your teacher instead of saying you did a favor for them!

3. Typical Situations in Anime

1. The Heroic Sacrifice / Stepping Up

  • Context: The party is injured, the villain is approaching, and the protagonist steps forward.
  • Line: “Koko wa ore ga yaru!” (ここは俺がやる!)
  • Meaning: “I’ll handle this part / I’ll take care of this guy!”

2. The Villain’s Threat

  • Context: A thug or antagonist is about to attack someone. In subtitles, you might see “I’ll kill you,” but the audio is actually saying Yaru.
  • Line: “Aitsu wo yatte yaru…” (あいつをやってやる…)
  • Meaning: “I’m gonna wreck that guy / I’m gonna kill him.”
  • Note: Sometimes in manga, the author will write the Kanji 殺る (kill) but put the reading “yaru” next to it to emphasize the violence.

3. The Misunderstanding / Locker Room Talk

  • Context: High school friends gossiping about a couple.
  • Line: “Omae, kanojo to yatta no?” (お前、彼女とやったの？)
  • Meaning: “Did you do it with her?” (Did you have sex?)

4. Real Life vs. Anime (Can I use this?)

  • Safety Rating: TRAP / DANGEROUS ⚠️

Listen to your Senpai closely: Be very careful with this word.

  1. “To Give”: Never use Yaru when giving a gift to a person (unless you want to sound incredibly arrogant). Yaru is used for watering plants or feeding dogs. If you say “I gave (yaru) my friend a present,” you are grammatically treating your friend like a pet.
  2. “To Do”: It is safe to use as “to do” in very casual situations (e.g., “Shukudai yatta?” – Did you do homework?), but it sounds rough and masculine.
  3. The “Sex” Risk: If you say “I did [person]” (Ano hito wo yatta), you are saying you either beat them up or slept with them. There is no middle ground.

Senpai’s Advice: Stick to Suru (to do) and Agemasu (to give). Leave Yaru for the anime characters or until your Japanese is fluent enough to read the room perfectly.

5. Related Terms

  • Suru (する): The standard, safe word for “To do.” Use this instead!
  • Ageru (あげる): The standard, polite word for “To give” (to equals or superiors).
  • Korosu (殺す): The literal word for “To kill.” Yaru is often a slang replacement for this.
  • Yarichin (ヤリチン): A derogatory slang term for a “player” or a guy who sleeps around (derived from Yaru + Chin).

Summary

Yaru is a high-stakes verb that can mean “heroic resolve,” “violent murder,” or “getting lucky,” so pay close attention to the context before you try to use it yourself!

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