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ノリ nori
The energy you go along with.
What does nori mean?
The momentum of a group. ノリがいい means you play along easily; ノリで決めた means the vibe decided, not you.
Example
その場のノリで参加を決めた。
I decided to join on the spur of the moment.
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.
Culture note
Being ノリがいい — quick to join in — is treated as a social skill in Japanese friend groups and workplaces, which is why turning down a spontaneous plan can feel heavier than it should.
The story behind nori
It comes from 乗る, to ride, and you meet it first in music. A song with good ノリ is one your body agrees with, a groove you can climb onto. From there it moved to people: someone with good ノリ is easy to play with.
Comedy sharpened it further. Japanese stage humour has a technique called ノリツッコミ: you go along with the nonsense for a beat before turning around and objecting, and the joke only works if you ride first. That is the skill the word measures. Being quick to join in counts as a real social ability, which is why declining a spontaneous plan weighs more than it should.
Get nori in your pocket
ノリ 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.
