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ドヤ顔 doya gao
The well-were-you-impressed face.
What does doya gao mean?
Kansai どや (how about that?) plus 顔 (face). The look someone wears right after nailing something, waiting for applause. Mostly affectionate teasing.
Example
クイズに正解して、めっちゃドヤ顔してる。
He got the quiz right and now he's got that smug look.
Vibe
Who you can say this to, and how it lands.
Friends only Casual. Natural with friends, out of place at work or with strangers.
The story behind doya gao
どや is Kansai for how about that, delivered as a challenge rather than a question, and the face is the punctuation that follows. Comedy from Osaka has run on that beat forever: land the line, then hold still for exactly one second too long.
National television did the rest. As Kansai comedians filled variety programming through the 2000s, the expression travelled with them and picked up a second life as a caption, applied to pets, toddlers and colleagues alike. Almost all of its use is affectionate. Pointing at the face is a way of granting the applause that was being fished for, while noting that everyone saw the fishing.
Get doya gao in your pocket
ドヤ顔 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.
