About

Hey X Do You Speak Japanese? is a phrasal template used in a series of TikTok memes in which a character asks another character if they speak Japanese, the second character lies and says they don't, then a compilation of images of the first character is shown with Japanese subtitles as if they're speaking Japanese to them. The trend became popularized on TikTok in late February 2023 and spread throughout March. That month, versions of the trend where Young Sheldon's Dad Speaks Japanese showing Sheldon Cooper's dad George, Sr. from Young Sheldon following the trend, became notably popularized. The trend is usually set to the song "Shinunoga E-wa" by Fujii Kaze.

Origin

On November 19th, 2022, TikToker^[5] @itz._.lildb posted a Gacha animation set to "Shinunoga E-wa" by Fujii Kaze where one girl asks another if she speaks Japanese, garnering over 88,000 views in four months (shown below).

On February 14th, 2023, TikToker^[1] @jellycatskinner posted a meme where MrBeast asks Kyle from South Park if he speaks Japanese. Kyle lies and says he does not, then MrBeast proceeds to speak Japanese. The video gained over 800,000 views in a month (shown below). The video is set to "Shinunoga E-wa" by Fujii Kaze.

Spread

The trend spread over the following month. On February 16th, 2023, TikToker^[3] @tall.willows posted a version of the meme with Walter and Jesse from Breaking Bad, garnering over 2.2 million views in a month (shown below, left). On March 1st, TikToker^[4] @ericfingle posted a version using an image of Jeffrey Epstein, garnering over 289,000 views in two weeks (shown below, right).

On March 13th, 2023, TikToker^[2] @zed_lemon posted a video following the trend with George Cooper, Sr., Sheldon's dad from The Big Bang Theory prequel series Young Sheldon, asking Walt Jr., "Do you speak Japanese Walt Jr.?" Walt Jr. says, "No," but is lying. A compilation of photos of George is then shown with Japanese subtitles. The video gained over 800,000 views in two days (shown below).

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References