tsundere

Tsundere, which starting taking off in English in 2007, can be a noun, a verb or an adjective. You can be a tsundere, act in a tsundere kind of way, or even be tsundere-ing at someone. In Japanese, the plural of tsundere is tsundere, but sometimes the regular English plural tsunderes is used by English speakers.

Tsundere are sometimes divided into two types, called type A and type B. Type A tsundere default to tsuntsun behavior. In other words, they’re harsh and short-tempered to most people. They warm up only when you get to know them. This is the original tsundere archetype. Type B, on the other hand, is usually deredere. They are kind and gentle to most people, but when their love interest upsets them, they show a short-tempered tsuntsun side.

The word tsundere is most often used to refer to female characters. A male character who acts like a tsundere might sometimes be called a “male tsundere” to differentiate him from the more common, female tsundere.

Tsundere has generated a number of spinoff words that use the -dere suffix to contrast loving behavior with something else. A yandere is a character whose alternate mode is violent and possessive, beginning as sweet but later turning nasty. A dandere is a quiet, shy character who slowly warms up to the protagonist and becomes more social. A kuudere is a cool, stoic, composed character who never seems to show emotion, but reveals a softer side as a relationship develops.

Jokes about tsundere often feature phrases like “It’s not like I like you or anything!” often accompanied by blushing or stuttering, playing on the tsundere’s show of indifference to mask affection.

In the mid-2000s in Japan, a number of tsundere cafes sprung up, in which female servers treat male customers rudely—until they are leaving, when they start being affectionate.