Japanese with Manga
Learning through examples in manga

Unfashionable with ダサい

ダサい is slang meaning one’s clothes and/or hairstyle are outdated, old-fashioned, rustic. It has a negative connotation to it.

Is it similar in meaning to:

  • 恰好(かっこ)よくない　(not good-looking; not stylish)
  • 恰好(かっこ)悪(わる)い　(bad-looking)
  • おしゃれじゃない (not stylish; not smartly dressed)

English words with usage similar to ダサい include unfashionable, uncool, unrefined, lame, and dorky.

The ダサ portion is usually written in katakana.

Further Reading

Examples

Dorky shirt my mom bought me with ダサイ

Manga panel from からかい上手の高木さん showing example of Unfashionable with ダサい.
からかい上手の高木さん » Volume 7 » Page 91

Nishikata and Takagi meet up at the library to study. Although it’s hot out, and Nishikata ran to make it to the library on time, he refuses to remove his sweater.

西片(にしかた):
「今日(きょう)のＴ(ティー)シャツは…　お母(かあ)さんが買(か)ってきたなんかダサイやつ！！」
“Today's T-shirt is...some dorky thing my mom bought me!!”

Lame monkeys with ダサい

Manga panel from くノ一ツバキの胸の内 showing example of Unfashionable with ダサい.
くノ一ツバキの胸の内 » Volume 1 » Page 70

Housenka from the monkey squad appears before the dog squad, challenging them to a battle for their squad name. Before she can cause any trouble, Tsuwabuki and Mokuren from her squad appear to stop her. Housenka claims this is their chance to become the dog squad.

ホウセンカ:
「申(サル)なんてダサいのはもう…　ぐっ」
“I'm over this lame monkey thing...gwa!”
ツワブキ:
「申(サル)はダサくないぞ。」
“Monkeys are not lame.”