Sections
Aitsu (あいつ): what it means in anime
あいつ
あいつ · aitsu · that guy; him; her (casual) Not on JLPT lists
Aitsu means "that guy" or "that one", a casual way to refer to a person who is not present. It can be dismissive, affectionate or neutral depending on who says it.
Where you hear it 17 of 42 series
Lines from the Japanese subtitles of episodes 1–3 of each show. A translation is shown only when it clearly matches the line; counts are subtitle lines containing the word.
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Haikyu!! · 13 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 1
あいつに点を取られたんだよ
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Assassination Classroom · 12 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 1
あいつが一番油断してる顔の時に
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Bleach · 11 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 2
あいつら バケモンじゃねえのかよ
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Attack on Titan · 10 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 2
あいつらさえ叩き潰せば―
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Naruto · 9 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 1
あいつは化け狐なんかじゃない
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One Piece · 9 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 2
あいつを捕まえろ！ 俺が殺す！
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Noragami · 9 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 1
お前 あいつらからかっただろ
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Angel Beats! · 9 lines in episodes 1–3 · this one from episode 1
あいつと戦ってるだけなんだ…
Also in: Soul Eater, Sword Art Online, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Hunter x Hunter, No Game No Life, Violet Evergarden, Jujutsu Kaisen, Vinland Saga, Toradora!.
Usage and nuance
The やつ family is こいつ (this one, here), そいつ (that one, near you) and あいつ (that one, over there or absent). All three refer to people without any politeness, so they belong to casual speech between friends or to talk about enemies.
In anime あいつ is often how a character talks about a rival or someone they secretly care about. "あいつ…" trailing off is practically a trope for suppressed feelings.
The polite replacements are あの人 (ano hito, that person) or あの方 (ano kata, very polite). Use those in real conversation; keep あいつ for understanding what you hear.
Hear あいつ in Haikyu!!13 lines in episodes 1–3 · tappable subtitles · free, no account