014 / 308
映える baeru
Instant post material.
What does baeru mean?
Looks incredible in a photo. Entire cafes are now designed around this single word.
Example
このパンケーキ、めっちゃ映える。
These pancakes are so photogenic.
Vibe
Who you can say this to, and how it lands.
Safe to use Fine in ordinary conversation.
The story behind baeru
The verb is old and originally read differently: it described something standing out beautifully against its surroundings, autumn leaves against a grey sky, that sort of thing. Then photo sharing arrived, the reading shifted in casual speech, and the word was handed a job it was strangely well suited to.
By the late 2010s the phrase for looking good on a photo feed had swept the country and picked up a buzzword prize along the way. The effects were physical. Cafes rebuilt their interiors, desserts grew taller, walls were painted specifically to be photographed in front of. Few slang words have redecorated an entire hospitality industry.
Get baeru in your pocket
映える is one of 308 words in YABAI, a Japanese culture snack for Android. Every word comes with its meaning, an example sentence, a vibe check and a story like the one above — in 13 languages, read aloud by your device. Paid app: no ads, no sign-up, no subscription.
