カワユス

Variant of かわいい (kawaii, “cute”), coined by Japanese celebrity Shoko Nakagawa in 2006 (see quotation below). Compare older 可(かわ)愛(ゆ)い (kawayui, “pitiful”), です (desu, “be”).

• IPA^(key): [ka̠ɰᵝa̠jɯ̟ᵝsɨᵝ]

カワユス • (kawayusu) -na (adnominal カワユスな (kawayusu na na), adverbial カワユスに (kawayusu ni ni))

1. (slang, neologism) kawaii; cute, adorable
   • 2006, Shōko Nakagawa, Shokotan‎, page 44:

     マミタスカワユス! ごろごろいいながらドスッッッ! ! ! て翔(しょう)子(こ)のみぞおちに体(たい)重(じゅう)クリーンヒットさせて甘(あま)えてくる大(おお)きなマミタスカワユス!

     Mamitasu kawayusu! Gorogoro iinagara dosu! ! ! te Shōko no mizoochi ni taijū kurīn hittosasete amaetekuru ōkina Mamitasu kawayusu!

     Mamitasu cute! It’s pleasantly like, ‘purrrr’!!! Hit Shoko right in the solar plexus, a clean hit, big sweet Mamitasu cutie!

   • 2018 April 15, “GOL☆HAF(ゴルハフ)”, in Happy Present‎, archived from the original on October 26, 2020:

     彼(かの)女(じょ)たちの作(さく)品(ひん)の中(なか)から「LET ME GO / Dear my friend」をオンエアー！それぞれが自(じ)己(こ)紹(しょう)介(かい)からの曲(きょく)紹(しょう)介(かい)とっても賑(にぎ)やかでカワユスな時(じ)間(かん)でした。

     Kanojotachi no sakuhin no naka kara “LET ME GO / Dear my friend” o on'eā! Sorezore ga jiko shōkai kara no kyoku shōkai tottemo nigiyaka de kawayusu na jikan deshita.

     Work from the girls’ “LET ME GO / Dear my friend” is on the air! From their various self-introductions to track introductions it was an extremely lively and adorable time.

   • 2018 July 2, “Nakagawa Shōko, Yamadera Kōichi, Matsumoto Rika, ‘Sanpikatorio’ ni kawayusu [Shoko Nakagawa, Koichi Yamadera, Rika Matsumoto in kawayusu ‘san-pika-trio’]”, in Biglobe News‎:

     中(なか)川(がわ)翔(しょう)子(こ)、山(やま)寺(でら)宏(こう)一(いち)と並(なら)ぶスリーショットはアプリを使(つか)って「ピカチュウ」仕(し)様(よう)となっており、「カワユス…」

     Nakagawa Shōko, Yamadera Kōichi to narabu surī shotto wa apuri o tsukatte “Pikachū” shiyō to natteori, “kawayusu…”

     Shoko Nakagawa and Koichi Yamadera lined up a three-shot and used a “Pikachu” app to make it “kawayusu…”