あいつ、警察の前では善人ぶるのがうまいんだよ。
あいつ、 けいさつ の まえ では ぜんにん ぶる のが うまいんだよ。
He’s a proper pro at acting like a saint in front of the feds.
Aight, so get this. When some guy is acting all that, pretending to be something they ain’t, that’s when you whip out ～ぶる. It’s for calling out a phoney. Like someone who’s not a big shot but acts like they run the manor. It’s got that cheeky, slightly negative vibe, you get me? It’s basically saying someone is putting on a front, playing a part. It’s not a compliment, blud. You’re pointing out they’re just faking it, trying to give off a certain impression. Proper useful for when you see someone acting all high and mighty when you know they’re just a melt.
Here’s the lowdown on how you stick this thing together. It’s a walk in the park, for real.
| Type | Form | Hiragana | English |
| い-Adjective | 偉い (erai) + ぶる | えらいぶる | to act superior |
| な-Adjective | 深刻 (shinkoku) + ぶる | しんこくぶる | to act serious |
| Noun | 先輩 (senpai) + ぶる | せんぱいぶる | to act like a senior |
So, what’s the deal? It’s bare simple. For い-adjectives, you just chop off the final い and slap ぶる on the end. For な-adjectives and nouns, you just stick ぶる straight on after it. No messing about. This bad boy then conjugates like a regular Godan verb, so you can have ぶった (butta) for the past tense, ぶって (butte) for the te-form, all that jazz. Easy peasy.
Think of ～ぶる like wearing a dodgy knock-off designer jacket. From a distance, you might look the part, you might look like you’re dripping in legit gear. But when you get up close, everyone can see it’s a fake. The quality’s shoddy, the logo’s off, it’s just not the real deal. That’s what someone using ～ぶる is doing – they’re putting on a fake front, trying to pass themselves off as something they’re not, but it’s just an act, and it’s usually see-through to anyone who’s not a plonker.
Here’s some new lingo for your dome, get it learned.
修羅場 (しゅらば)
English: a right mess; a scene of carnage.
Aight, so picture this: a deal’s gone sideways, mugs are throwin’ hands, the Old Bill are on their way, and everything’s turned to chaos. That’s a shuraba. It’s that moment in a gangster flick, like in “Snatch” when everything kicks off, where plans go out the window and it’s pure survival. It’s a proper mad one, a bloodbath, where you see who’s really got the bottle to handle the heat.
被害者 (ひがいしゃ)
English: Victim; the mark.
Right, this one’s simple, innit? The higaisha is the poor sod on the receivin’ end of a raw deal. The one who gets their pockets emptied, their motor nicked, or ends up on the wrong side of a beatin’. In our world, you never wanna be the higaisha. They’re the ones the police are talkin’ to, the ones who didn’t see it comin’. You gotta be the guv’nor, not the one gettin’ played.
忠誠心 (ちゅうせいしん)
English: Loyalty; allegiance.
Now this, this is the proper currency on the streets. More than money, more than muscle, you got chūseishin. It’s that ride-or-die mentality. Your firm, your crew, your family – you’re with them ’til the end. No grassin’, no switchin’ sides. Think of the loyalty in a crew like Skepta’s Boy Better Know, everyone’s got each other’s back. Without chūseishin, you’re just a lone wolf, and wolves get put down.
団地 (だんち)
English: Housing estate; council estate.
A ‘danchi’ is basically a massive block of flats, a whole estate of ’em, all built the same, all packed together. Think of it like a council estate back in the ends. It’s where the working-class families are, the everyday people grindin’ it out. Some are proper decent, full of families and old timers, a real community vibe, you get me? But just like any estate, some have a bit of a reputation, a bit of a rougher edge. It’s its own little world, its own turf. You know everyone’s business, and everyone knows yours. It’s the sort of place where you build your crew from the ground up, where you learn the lay of the land, every shortcut, every blind spot. It’s home, innit? For better or for worse.
流行りの (はやり の)
English: Trendy; in fashion.
This is what’s poppin’ off right now, the new wave. Could be the latest garms from Trapstar, the new drill beat that everyone’s jumpin’ on, or the new slang comin’ straight outta London. It’s what’s hot on the streets. If you’re rockin’ somethin’ hayari no, you’re on point, you know the score. But watch out, yeah? ‘Cause what’s in today is old news tomorrow. You gotta stay ahead of the game, always.
Right, here’s some proper examples so you can see how it works on the street.
あの新入りは偉ぶっているが、何もできない。
あのしんいりはえらぶっているが、なにもできない。
That rookie acts all high and mighty, but he can’t do a damn thing.
下っ端のくせにボスぶるな。分をわきまえろ。
したっぱ の くせに ボス ぶるな。 ぶん を わきまえろ。
Stop acting like the boss when you’re just a foot soldier. Know your place, blud.
彼は金持ちぶるが、実は借金まみれだ。
かれはかねもちぶるが、じつはしゃっきんまみれだ。
He acts rich, but in reality, he’s drowning in debt.
親分は若ぶって流行りの服を着ている。
おやぶんはわかぶってはやりのはくをきている。
The boss is acting young and wearing trendy clothes.
組織を裏切った後も、彼は忠誠心があるぶっていた。
そしき を うらぎった あと も、 かれ は ちゅうせいしん が ある ぶっていた。
Even after betraying the organisation, he acted like he was loyal.
彼女の前ではいつもいい子ぶっているけど、俺たちは本当の彼を知っている。
かのじょ の まえ では いつも いいこ ぶっている けど、 おれたち は ほんとう の かれ を しっている。
He’s always acting like a good boy in front of his girl, but we know the real him.
彼女は被害者ぶっているが、本当は全部仕組んだんだ。
かのじょはひがいしゃぶっているが、ほんとうはぜんぶしくんだんだ。
She’s acting like a victim, but she planned the whole thing.
警察に捕まっても、彼は最後まで強がって、平気ぶっていた。けいさつ に つかまっても、 かれ は さいご まで つよがって、 へいき ぶっていた。
Even after getting nabbed by the Old Bill, he put on a brave face ’til the end, acting like he was unbothered.
あいつはベテランぶっているが、修羅場を一度も経験したことがない。
あいつ は ベテラン ぶっている が、 しゅらば を いちど も けいけん した こと が ない。
He acts like a seasoned veteran, but he’s never even been in a proper scrap.
彼女は上品ぶっているが、育ちは俺たちと同じ団地だ。
かのじょ は じょうひん ぶっている が、 そだち は おれたち と おなじ だんち だ。
She acts all posh, but she grew up on the same council estate as us.
Alright, that’s a wrap. You get it now, yeah? Go out there and use it, but don’t get yourself into any dodgy situations. Stay safe, keep your head down, and don’t be a melt. Easy.
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