Quotes
Japanese meaning of あべし！！
— Jackal's henchman ／ Fist of the North Star
Voice sample:
あべし！！ (Abeshi!!)
English Translation:
Abeshi! (≈ "GAAH!" — a nonsense death cry)
Original Scene & Cultural Context
Scene in the Original Work:
In Fist of the North Star, a thug hit by Kenshiro's secret-point technique bursts from the inside and screams this as he dies. In the manga it is an unnamed former pro boxer in Jackal's gang. He boasts about his punches, but Kenshiro strikes his face, and he dies after only a few pages.
日本語で読む
『北斗の拳』で、ケンシロウに秘孔を突かれた悪党が、体の内側から破裂しながら叫ぶ断末魔。原作漫画では、ジャッカル一味の名もない元プロボクサーの男が言う。自分のパンチを自慢したが、ケンシロウに顔を突かれ、わずか数ページで倒される。
Cultural Context:
The word has no meaning; it is just the scream of a body bursting from Kenshiro's technique. Though said by a nameless thug who appears only briefly, it became one of the most famous death cries of the series, often listed with ひでぶ and たわば, and it is also known as a meme overseas. It may also be said jokingly when something goes badly wrong.
日本語で読む
言葉としての意味はなく、ケンシロウの拳法で体が破裂する悪党の悲鳴。わずかしか登場しない名もない男のセリフだが、『北斗の拳』の断末魔の中でも特に有名になり、「ひでぶ」「たわば」と並べて語られる。海外のアニメファンの間でもミームとして知られている。ひどい目にあったときに「やられた」の意味で冗談で言うこともある。
Grammar & Learning Points
Grammar Point
•「あべし」= a made-up sound, not a real word. •「！！」= a loud scream as he dies.
日本語で読む
•「あべし」は実在しない、意味のない音。•「！！」は死ぬ間際の大きな叫び声。
Trap for English Speakers
「あべし」 looks like old Japanese (〜べし means "should"), but it is not related. It is just a nonsense cry, used only as a joke.
日本語で読む
「〜べし」（〜するべきだ）という古い言い方に似ているが、関係はない。意味のない叫び声で、冗談としてだけ使う。
Example
Example 1Basic Example
雨の日に階段で滑って、しりもちをついた。あべし！
I slipped on the stairs on a rainy day and landed on my backside. Abeshi!
Example 2Applied Example
（忍び込んだ屋敷で落とし穴に落ちた下忍が）あべし！！
(A junior ninja who falls into a pit trap in the mansion he sneaked into) "Abeshi!!"
Quick check
Meaning
What does 「あべし！！」 mean?