Slang! どや顔 = doyagao (Mini Lesson #131)
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Today I will teach you a relatively new slangy word どや顔 = doyagao.
It means “a smug face” “smug look on one’s face” to have “cocky look”, “triumphant face”
We hear this more and more often on TV these days.
Ex. その”どや顔“、やめろ！(male talk. a bit rough) or やめて!=yamete!
= Sono “doyagao“ yamero!/ Sono doyagao yamete!
=Wipe that smug look off your face!
(Looking at a picture)
Ex. ちょっと、この”どや顔“見て！
=Chotto kono “doyagao” mite!
= Hey, look at this smug face!
Ex.すごい、”どや顔“してるね。
= Sugoi “doyoagao” shiterune.
= What a smug face (he/she has)!
They say this expression started becoming popular when a comedian from Osaka used it in a talk show. From there it started to spread immediately.
「どや!」 = Doya! is Kansaiben ( a dialect from Osaka area) which means
“How do you like it!” ,” How’s that?”, ”Did you see what I just did / what I got?”, “Look at me!”
*「どうだ！」 =Douda! (male talk)
*「どう？」= Dou!
or
*「私、すごいでしょ！」= Watashi sugoidesho!= Don’t you think I am great? / I did great, right?
They say this when they are showing off something.
For example, when you win a game, succeed at something, get something really nice and want to show it off, show off your nice muscles, etc., you look around as if you are saying 「どや！」= Doya! = How’s that! “Did you see that?” “I am great!” “I did a great job, didn’t I” and people would think you have a smug look on your face. That is called どや顔 = doyagao.
Synonyms :
★どうだ顔 = douda gao = (slang) the same as どや顔 = doyagao
★キメ(決め）顔 = kime gao = one’s look as if saying ” I did it!”, “Look what I did!” (Similar to the English expression, “You look like the cat that ate the canary”.)
Also we say キメ（決め）顔= kimegao one’s perfect face-pose for pictures or a woman’s face with perfect make up
★勝ち誇った顔 = kachihokotta kao = a triumphant look, a cocky look/face
★したり顔 = shitari gao = a smug face, a triumphant look, a cocky face, a facial expression that says, “I know everything”.
★得意顔 = tokui gao = a smug face, a triumphant look, a cocky look/face
All these **顔(=kao/gao) take the verb する=suru
Ex. ** 顔をする=** gao wo suru = to have ** look on ones face
マギー先生より = Maggie Sensei yori = From Maggie Sensei
So I got a new toy! どや！= Doya! 
9 Responses to “Slang! どや顔 = doyagao (Mini Lesson #131)”
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@maggiesensei 
Aki on April 17th, 2011
haha!! Kansai ben rocks :3
I’ll have to be careful with this word though… Don’t want to seem stuck up or something でしょう？:)
and sensei, what do people in other parts of japan think of Kansai people? cause I heard from some Kansai friends that Tokyo people for example are really “proper.” So I was wondering, is there a certain image of Kansai people?
Maggie on April 17th, 2011
@Aki
It doesn’t sound stuck up it just sounds funny. We use it jokingly now.
Kansai people are considered to be very warm, funny and friendly. That is why many comedians are from Kansai. On the other hand, imagewise, Tokyo people might be cooler but more distant.
Personally I love Kansai people and kansai dialect!
Aki on April 18th, 2011
ahh ok^^
好きやねん！あはは、にゃ～！
me too!! I really like them
I just have this tendency of sometimes saying nya to myself when something is cute&funny… I don’t know why… maybe cause it was one of the first japanese words that I learned? hehehe it’s sooooo cuuuuuute <3
Maggie on April 18th, 2011
@Aki
That’s かわいいニャ〜！(=^x^=)
zerodtkjoe on October 20th, 2010
Thanks for the info
Maggie on October 20th, 2010
@zerodtkjoe
Thank you for visiting this site! Please come back!
apple407 on October 5th, 2010
どや顔をすみません。
http://www.friendsoffenwaystudios.org/portfolio.php?index=29
apple407 on October 3rd, 2010
探偵が密偵を内偵する探偵小説が好きなんです。
ジャパニーズ カンジ フラッシュカーズ ３
ーどや顔でー ハハハ！
Maggie on October 3rd, 2010
@apple407
確かに！複雑過ぎる探偵小説！！
apple407の”どや顔”(￣^￣) みてみたい…