TOKYO, Dec 16 — Without a doubt, “pien” is (unfortunately) the word that best sums up 2020, a term that’s been crowned “Word of the Year” by Japanese dictionary publishing company Sanseidō.

To understand what it means, look no further than the world of emojis. See the one with tears welling up in its pleading puppy dog eyes? That’s “pien.” And we can only hope that 2021 is anything but...

The unprecedented global pandemic has made 2020 a year that’s particularly rich in new words and expressions.

From “social distancing” and “lockdown” to “maskne” and “Zoom party,” there are lots of terms that were used very little — if at all — before the pandemic that are now part of our everyday vocabulary.

So you might imagine that publisher Sanseidō would pick a term directly or indirectly associated with covid-19 for its “Word of the Year” in Japan.

But no, this year’s title goes to “pien,” a term used essentially by young people on social media, but which could soon go mainstream. 

Sadness and disappointment

“Pien” isn’t the most positive word out there. In fact, it designates sadness and disappointment, capturing the spirit of the year that’s drawing to an end. It can also represent tears of joy, although online, it’s usually used with the “pleading face” emoji.

It’s mostly used to express moments of disappointment or disillusionment experienced day to day, like when things don’t go your way, for example.

So, spending hours in line to buy the latest must-have console only to see the person in front of you get the last in stock, that’s “pien.”

A word that’s here to stay

It’s hard to imagine how a word with no apparent link to covid-19 could be the top term in Japan this year.

And yet, several media outlets in the country explain that “pien” will be added to the Sanseidō dictionary, so the aim was not to choose a term that would (hopefully) soon fall out of daily usage. 

In fact, you just have to look on social media to see that the word “pien” has been widely adopted by Japanese users, especially teenage girls.

The hashtag has already been used tens of thousands of times on Instagram by young girls who even use filters to get the famous pleading face captured in the emoji.

“Pien” joins the list of many words that have been popular in Japan this year, along with “sanmitsu,” named “Word of the Year” by the Jiyukokuminsha publishing company. — AFP-Relaxnews