The Art of 'Cool Shamelessness': しれっと (shiretto)

Hey everyone, it's me! After living in Japan for over 10 years, I've realized there are words whose full nuance you'll never learn from a textbook. 「しれっと」is definitely one of them. It's a super useful adverb to describe an act of 'unbelievable nonchalance'.

What is「しれっと」?

Simply put, しれっと (or しれーっと) is used to describe doing something (usually something not so good, or surprising) calmly and nonchalantly, as if nothing happened, without showing any sign of embarrassment or guilt. It's quite similar to the Korean word 뻔뻔하다.

It's different from:

• 平然と (heizen to): Also means 'calmly', but has a stronger, more defiant nuance, like 'in the face of public opinion'.
• 図々しい (zūzūshii): This is an adjective for 'brazen' or 'shameless', with a clearly negative meaning.

しれっと is more subtle. There's something annoyingly 'cool' about it. 😠

Classic Scenarios

Imagine these scenes, and you'll get it instantly:

1. The Pudding Thief in the Fridge 🍮

   彼は私のプリンを食べたくせに、しれっと「冷蔵庫にプリンなかった？」と聞いてきた。 (Karé wa watashi no purin wo tabeta kuse ni, shiretto "Reizouko ni purin nakatta?" to kiitekita.) → He ate my pudding, and then nonchalantly asked, "Hey, wasn't there any pudding in the fridge?".

2. Arriving Late Without a Care 🚶‍♂️

   会議に遅刻したのに、彼はしれっと一番前の席に座った。 (Kaigi ni chikoku shita noni, karé wa shiretto ichiban mae no seki ni suwatta.) → Even though he was late for the meeting, he casually sat in the front row.

3. Achieving Something Incredible Effortlessly Sometimes, it can also be used in a positive sense to show admiration.

   みんなが苦戦していた問題を、彼はしれっと解決してしまった。 (Minna ga kusen shiteita mondai wo, karé wa shiretto kaiketsu shite shimatta.) → He effortlessly solved the problem everyone was struggling with.

Pro-Tip for Usage

しれっと is a very 'real-life' word. You'll hear it in daily conversations, on TV shows, in anime... It allows you to express a feeling of annoyance or surprise at someone's 'subtle shamelessness' in just one word.

Next time you see someone do something audacious with a straight face, you'll know exactly what word to use! 😉