Japanese words with english word

The Japanese language can be very difficult for English speakers to learn as these two languages are completely different in every aspect: origin, writing system, grammar, and phonetics. But when it comes to vocabulary, you may be surprised to hear that this isn’t really the case. There are actually quite a few English loanwords in Japanese!

There’s even a name for the mixing of these two languages: Japanglish. 

Some of the English words used in Japanese have the same meaning as the original ones, while others have been localized and modified (often shortened), combined with Japanese words, and/or used with a completely different meaning. 

In this article, we’ll introduce English words that are commonly used in Japanese. Although you may find some of them very weird, learning Japanglish is one of the easiest parts of learning Japanese and it will be helpful in your language studies.

There is a lot of Japanglish vocabulary used in Japan.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to Japanglish
2. Typical English Loanwords in Japanese
3. Japanglish Wasei Eigo
4. How to Say These Names in Japanese
5. English Words Borrowed From Japanese
6. How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

1. Introduction to Japanglish

There are two types of English words used in the Japanese language: loanwords and Wasei-Eigo. Let’s take a closer look at each group. 

Loanwords Used in Japanese

Loanwords, or 外来語 (gairai-go), are commonly used in modern Japanese. After two centuries of isolation, called 鎖国 (Sakoku), Japan became “open” to foreign countries in the mid-nineteenth century. This new status brought with it influences from Western cultures, and many of the first loanwords in Japan came from Portuguese, Dutch, French, and German. English loanwords started to gain prevalence during the post-World War II period. Since then, Japanglish has continued to evolve and grow in popularity. 

While the younger Japanese generations often use loanwords without even realizing they’re originally from foreign languages, the older population hardly uses or understands them.

The most basic loanwords are English words used in Japanese with the same meaning, but with Japanese pronunciation. Examples include: 

• カメラ (kamera) – “camera”
• タクシー (takushī) – “taxi”
• クリック (kurikku) – “click”

You have to keep in mind that loanwords are normally written with カタカナ (Katakana) letters and follow Japanese pronunciation rules. Also, when they’re written in alphabet form using ローマ字 (Roma-ji), or the romanization of Japanese, the spelling is often different from that of the original English words. This is because they’re transcribed according to how the Japanese read and pronounce words.

For example, all of the consonants in Japanese end with a vowel (あ a, い i, う u, え e, お o). In addition, since there’s no particular distinction between L and R in Japanese, all of the “L” sounds in English are expressed using “R” in Japanese. Thus, “click” is expressed as kurikku in Japanese.

To learn more about Japanese pronunciation, please see our “Japanese Pronunciation” article!

カタカナ (Katakana) characters are used to write loanwords.

Japanglish Wasei-Eigo: English Made in Japan 

There are also English words used in Japanese that have been more fully integrated into the language. These are called 和製英語 (Wasei Eigo), or literally, “English made in Japan.”

Wasei Eigo refers to English words adopted into Japanese with unique meanings, word combinations, and/or abbreviations only used in Japan. Examples include:

• サラリーマン (sararīman) 
  • from “salaryman,” meaning “businessman who works at a company and gets a monthly salary”
• シャーペン (shāpen) 
  • short for “sharp pencil,” meaning “mechanical pencil”

サラリーマン (sararīman), or “salaryman” meaning “businessman,” is one of the most typical Japanglish words.

2. Typical English Loanwords in Japanese

These loanwords have the same meaning as their English counterparts and are commonly used in daily Japanese conversations.

Loanword	Roma-ji / Reading	English Word
グラス	gurasu	glass
スプーン	supūn	spoon
フォーク	fōku	fork
ナイフ	naifu	knife
ビール	bīru	beer
ワイン	wain	wine
バス	basu	bus
バイク	baiku	(motor) bike
コンピューター	conpyūtā	computer
インターネット	intānetto	internet
ウェブサイト	webusaito	website
ホテル	hoteru	hotel
レストラン	resutoran	restaurant
テーブル	tēburu	table
サービス	sābisu	service
エレベーター	erebētā	elevator
ドア	doa	door
サイズ	saizu	size
シャツ	shatsu	shirt
ネクタイ	nekutai	necktie
サンダル	sandaru	sandal
サングラス	sangurasu	sunglasses
テスト	tesuto	test

Words that are associated with Western-style restaurants are often used as loanwords in Japanese. These include レストラン (resutoran) – “restaurant” / ナイフ (naifu) – “knife” /ワイン (wain) – “wine.”

3. Japanglish Wasei Eigo

Learning Wasei-Eigo may be a bit more difficult, as these words and phrases have undergone alterations during their journey into the Japanese language. In this section, we’ll give you several Japanglish examples and explain them in more detail as needed.

English Words Used With Different Meanings

Wasei Eigo	Roma-ji / Reading	English Word	Meaning
マンション	manshon	mansion	apartment (bigger building than アパート)
アパート	apāto	apart	apartment (smaller building than マンション)
コンセント	consento	consent	electrical outlet Many Japanese people use the word “consent” to mean “electrical outlet.” It is said that it originates from the word “concentric plug.”
メイク	meiku	make	makeup
リンス	rinsu	rinse	hair conditioner
アイス	aisu	ice	ice cream
ホットケーキ	hotto kēki	hot cake	pancake
スーパー	sūpā	super	supermarket
レジ	reji	register	It originally comes from “cash register,” meaning “checkout counter” or “cashier.”
ファイト!	faito!	fight	This word is used to cheer someone up. It can mean “Hang in there,” “You can do it,” or “Do your best.”
ハイテンション	hai tenshon	high tension	very excited / hyper
テキスト	tekisuto	text	textbook / school manual
カンニング	kanningu	cunning	cheating on an exam
タレント	tarento	talent	television personality / entertainer

Examples

• 次の試合は必ず勝つよ！ファイト！
  
  Tsugi no shiai wa kanarazu katsu yo! Faito!
  
  “You will definitely win the next match! Do your best!”

• 彼は昨日なぜかとてもハイテンションでした。
  
  Kare wa kinō naze ka totemo hai tenshon deshita.
  
  “He was very excited yesterday for some reason.”

• あなたの一番好きなタレントは誰ですか。
  
  Anata no ichi-ban suki na tarento wa dare desu ka.
  
  “Who is your most favorite TV personality?”

 ホットケーキ (hotto kēki), or “hot cake,” means “pancake” in Japan.

Abbreviated Word Combinations

In Japanese, it’s common for two or more English words to be shortened into one word (usually with four syllables). Let’s see some examples.

Wasei Eigo	Roma-ji / Reading	English Word	Meaning / Description
リモコン	rimokon	remote controller	remote controller In Japanese, the first syllables from each word are combined.
マスコミ	masukomi	mass communication	mass communication / mass media / the press / journalism
エアコン/ クーラー	eakon / kūrā	air conditioner / cooler	air conditioner クーラー (kūrā), or “cooler,” is also commonly used to mean “air conditioner.”
パソコン	pasokon	personal computer	computer Along with コンピューター (conpyūtā), パソコン (pasokon) is also commonly used when talking about computers.
コンビニ	konbini	convenience store	This word refers to convenience stores that are open 24 hours a day and seen everywhere throughout Japan.
イメチェン	imechen	image change	This refers to changing one’s image, especially in terms of one’s hairstyle or clothing.
OL (オーエル）	ōeru	office lady	Similar to “salaryman,” this word refers to a woman who works at an office. This word is also an abbreviation.
CM (シーエム）	shīemu	commercial message	commercial This abbreviation is used to mean “commercial” in Japanese.
BGM (ビージーエム)	bījīemu	background music	This refers to background music, especially when it’s played in a store, cafe, restaurant, etc.

Examples

• 昨日私の古いパソコンが壊れました。
  
  Kinō watashi no furui pasokon ga kowaremashita.
  
  “Yesterday, my old computer broke.”

• イメチェンしたいなら髪型を変えるのが一番だよ！
  
  Imechen shitai nara kamigata o kaeru no ga ichi-ban da yo!
  
  “If you want to change your image, it’s best to change your hairstyle!”

• あのカフェのBGMはジャズがかかっていておしゃれです。
  
  Ano kafe no bījīemu wa jazu ga kakatte ite oshare desu.
  
  “That cafe plays jazz as background music and it’s fashionable.”

リモコン (rimokon) is an abbreviation of “remote controller.”

Words That Combine English and Japanese

Wasei Eigo can also get creative, with some words being a combination of an English loanword and a Japanese word. 

Wasei Eigo	Roma-ji / Reading	Composition of Words	Meaning
省エネ	shōene	省 (Kanji that represents “save”)　＋ energy	energy-saving
軽トラ	keitora	軽 (Kanji that represents “light”) + truck	light (engine) truck / small truck
ガス欠	gasuketsu	gas + 欠 (Kanji that represents “lack”)	running out of gasoline (petrol)
懐メロ	natsumero	懐 (Kanji that represents “nostalgic”) + melody	nostalgic song / all-time favorite song
ドタキャン	dotakyan	土壇場 (dotanba), meaning “last moment” + cancellation	cancellation at the last moment
イタ飯	itameshi	Italian + 飯 (meal/food)	Italian food
猛ダッシュ	mōdasshu	猛 (Kanji that represents “fierce” / “intense” / “acute”) + dash	sprint / run as fast as one can

Examples

• 新しい冷蔵庫は省エネモデルです。
  
  Atarashii reizōko wa shōene moderu desu.
  
  “The new refrigerator is an energy-saving model.”

• ガス欠により道の真ん中で車が止まった。
  
  Gasuketsu ni yori michi no mannaka de kuruma ga tomatta.
  
  “The car stopped in the middle of a road due to running out of gasoline.”

• まりこはいつもデートをドタキャンする。
  
  Mariko wa itsumo dēto o dotakyan suru.
  
  “Mariko always cancels a date at the last moment.”

Loanwords Turned Into Japanese Verbs

By adding the Japanese word する (suru), or “to do,” after a loanword (whether it’s a noun or a verb), it becomes a verb in Japanese.

Wasei Eigo	Roma-ji / Reading	Composition of Words	Meaning
ドライブする	doraibu suru	drive + suru	to go for a drive
ノックする	nokku suru	knock + suru	to knock
キャンセルする	kyanseru suru	cancel + suru	to cancel
ジョギングする	jogingu suru	jogging + suru	to jog
リラックスする	rirakkusu suru	relax + suru	to relax
ジャンプする	janpu suru	jump + suru	to jump
キスする	kisu suru	kiss + suru	to kiss
メイクする	meiku suru	make + suru	to put on makeup
パーティーをする	pātī o suru	party + o + suru	to party
ギャンブルする	gyanburu suru	gamble + suru	to gamble

Examples

• 私はお風呂に入ってリラックスするのが好きです。
  
  Watashi wa o-furo ni haitte rirakkusu suru no ga suki desu.
  
  “I like to take a bath and relax.”

• 私たちは週末に誕生日パーティーをする予定です。
  
  Watashi-tachi wa shūmastu ni tanjōbi pātī o suru yotei desu.
  
  “We plan to have a birthday party over the weekend.”

• 入る前にドアをノックしてください。
  
  Hairu mae ni doa o nokku shite kudasai.
  
  “Please knock on the door before entering.”

To learn all about conjugation in Japanese, please see our article on Japanese Verb Conjugations.

パーティーをする (pātī o suru) – “to party”

4. How to Say These Names in Japanese

In Japan, world-famous brand names are pronounced according to Japanese pronunciation rules and are sometimes called something different. Here are a few examples.

• Google: グーグル (Gūguru)

• Apple: アップル (Appuru)

• Starbucks: スターバックス (Sutābakkusu)

   A shortened version, スタバ (Sutaba), is commonly used in daily conversations.

• Kentucky Fried Chicken: ケンタッキー フライド チキン (Kentakkī furaido chikin)

  There are also a couple of shortened versions often used in daily conversations: ケンタッキー (Kentakkī) and ケンタ (Kenta).

• McDonald’s: マクドナルド (Makudonarudo)

  Depending on the region of Japan, there are different shortened versions for this brand name.

  ➢ Kanto (Tokyo, Chiba, Saitama, Kanagawa) and other regions: マック (Makku)
  ➢ Kansai region (around Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Hyogo, etc.): マクド (Makudo)

There are even different dialect forms for “McDonald’s” in Japanese!

5. English Words Borrowed From Japanese

Due to globalization, there are also plenty of popular Japanese words in English! Let’s look at a few of these borrowed words: 

Food-Related Words	Kanji / Hiragana	Meaning / Description
Sushi	寿司 / すし	Sushi is a famous Japanese food, consisting of vinegared rice and raw and/or cooked seafood.
Teriyaki	照り焼き / てりやき	Teriyaki is a Japanese cooking technique and flavor. Foods are broiled or grilled with a glaze of sauce made of soy sauce, mirin, and sugar. 照り(teri) refers to a shine/luster and 焼き (yaki) means “grill.”
Tofu	豆腐 / とうふ	Tofu is bean curd made of soybeans. The Japanese word Tofu originates from the Chinese word 豆腐 (dòufu), which literally means  豆 (“bean”) + 腐(“curdled” or “fermented”).
Edamame	枝豆 / えだまめ	Edamame is a dish of immature soybeans, usually boiled and salted.
Sake	酒 / さけ	Sake literally means “alcoholic drink” in Japanese, but it often refers to Japanese rice wine, or 日本酒 (Nihonshu).
Matcha	抹茶 / まっちゃ	Matcha refers to green tea leaves that have been finely ground into a powder. Green tea leaves for Matcha are grown and processed using a specific method.
Bento	弁当 / べんとう	Bento is a reusable lunch box that can contain a single-portion meal, usually consisting of rice and some sides.

Culture-Related Words	Kanji / Hiragana	Meaning / Description
Bonsai	盆栽 / ぼんさい	Bonsai is an artform of planting that uses cultivation techniques to produce small trees in containers. Bonsai literally means “tray planting.”
Origami	折り紙 / おりがみ	Origami is the art of folding papers, usually done with square papers that have color on one side and white on the other side. Origami breaks down as: 折り(ori) – “fold”  +  紙 (kami/gami) – “paper”
Emoji	絵文字 / えもじ	Emoji is a type of pictograph that is used in electronic messages, originally invented in Japan. Emoji breaks down as: 絵 (e) – “picture” +  文字 (moji) – “character”
Manga	漫画 / まんが	Manga refers to Japanese-style comics that are often animated.
Cosplay (Kosupure)	コスプレ	The word コスプレ (Kosupure) comes from “costume play.” It is a type of performance art in which participants (cosplayers) dress up as characters from their favorite manga or anime.
Karaoke	カラオケ	Karaoke is a shortened version of 空 (kara), meaning “empty,” and オーケストラ (ōkesutora), meaning “orchestra.”  It is a form of entertainment where an amature sings popular songs using a microphone, following along with the instrumental music/melody and lyrics displayed on a video screen.
Sudoku	数独 / すうどく	Sudoku is a logic-based number-placement puzzle. The word 数独 (Sudoku) is an abbreviation that means “number” + “single,” coming from the rule of this puzzle: “the digits must be single” or “the digits are limited to one occurrence.”

Other Famous Words	Kanji / Hiragana	Meaning / Description
Kaizen	改善 / かいぜん	改善 (Kaizen) is literally translated as “improvement.” Kaizen in English often refers to “continuous improvement” in business atmospheres. It became known as the Japanese way of doing business to optimize processes and produce better results.
Karoshi	過労死 / かろうし	過労死 (Karoshi) literally means “death of overwork.” It refers to death as the result of mental and/or physical illness from working too much or being under too much pressure.
Tsunami	津波 / つなみ	津波 (Tsunami) literally means “port wave.” It is a series of huge waves, usually in an ocean. A Tsunami can be caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other underwater explosions.
Typhoon	台風 / たいふう	A Typhoon is a huge tropical cyclone that can be seen in the Northern Hemisphere, in the region called the Northwestern Pacific Basin. The Japanese word 台風 (taifū) became the English “typhoon.”

Tsunami (津波) is one of the most famous Japanese words that was adapted into English.

How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn More Japanese

In this article, we introduced English words used in Japanese. We covered the history of loanwords in Japan and how Japanglish developed, basic loanwords from English and various types of Wasei Eigo, as well as famous Japanese words in English. While some Japanglish terms sound funny and weird, they are definitely helpful to learn and can help you understand Japanese better!

Did you learn anything new about Japanese today? Are there any important words or terms you know about that we didn’t include? Let us, and your fellow language learners, know in the comments! 

If you would like to learn more about the Japanese language and culture, you’ll find a lot more helpful content on JapanesePod101.com. We provide a variety of free lessons to help you improve your Japanese language skills. For example, you can view the following vocabulary lists to learn the very basics of Japanese: 

• 100 Most Common Nouns
• 50 Most Common Verbs
• 50 Most Common Adjectives

You can also take advantage of our personal one-on-one coaching service, MyTeacher, when you subscribe to a Premium PLUS membership. Your private teacher will help you practice pronunciation and give you personalized feedback and advice to help you improve efficiently. 

And there is so much more we have to offer you! Learn Japanese faster and enjoy studying with JapanesePod101.com!

“What a strange thing!

to be alive

beneath cherry blossoms.”

Issa Kobayashi, a Japanese poet

There are numerous English words that are used in everyday Japanese conversations. And even though it’s usually possible to do without Japanese loanwords in daily English conversations, there are some words we simply can’t help using in certain situations. They are usually related to cuisine, culture, history, sports and entertainment. See our list of the most useful Japanese loanwords (sorry for not including sushi, sashimi, okonomiyaki and other yummy things in the list!):

Word	Meaning
Bento /ˈbentəʊ/ / bento box	a thin box divided into compartments which contain small separate dishes comprising a Japanese meal, esp. lunch; a Japanese-style packed lunch: I left you a bento box.
Daikon /ˈdaɪkɒn/ / daikon radish	a kind of white radish: I sometimes add daikon to miso /ˈmiːsəʊ/ (a soft Japanese food made from soya beans) soup.
Sake /ˈsɑːki/	an alcoholic drink made from rice: This is a sake brewery.
Tofu /ˈtəʊfuː/	a soft white food made from soya beans: There’s also a tofu dumpling coming up.
Kabuki /kəˈbuːki/	a form of Japanese drama: That book on kabuki might be expensive.
Kanji /ˈkændʒɪ , ˈkɑːn-/	a Japanese writing system using characters mainly derived from Chinese ideograms; a character of this system: Tom has memorized so many kanji that he can read books for primary school children.
Origami /ˌɒrɪˈɡɑːmi/	the Japanese art of folding pieces of paper to make models: This is not proper origami paper.
Ikebana /ˌiːkeɪˈbɑːnə/	the Japanese art of arranging flowers in an attractive way according to strict rules: You can’t learn ikebana in 10 days.
Bonsai /ˈbɒnsaɪ/	a tree grown in a small container; the activity of growing bonsai trees: You know, I’ve been thinking about the bonsai shop idea.
Haiku /ˈhaɪkuː/	a short poem written in a traditional Japanese style: I wrote little haiku poems. I e-mailed them to everyone.
Kimono /kɪˈməʊnəʊ/	a type of traditional Japanese clothing, like a long coat with wide sleeves; a dressing gown in this style: She certainly looks beautiful in a Japanese kimono.
Anime /ˈænɪmeɪ/	a style of Japanese animated film or TV program: She loves anime and manga /ˈmæŋɡə/ (Japanese comics or cartoons with stories that are aimed at adults as well as children)
Kawaii /kəˈwai/	attractive and appealing; in English the word is used when talking about Japanese pop culture: It’s such a kawaii character!
Katana /kəˈtɑːnə /	a long curved single-edged sword traditionally used by Japanese samurai ˈsæmʊraɪ/: When a katana is gripped properly, the little finger is the strongest.
Rickshaw /ˈrɪkˌʃɔː/	a small vehicle with two wheels used for carrying passengers and pulled by someone riding a bicycle or walking: My rickshaw got caught in this massive traffic jam.
Sudoku /suˈdəʊkuː/	a kind of number game: I’m a sudoku fan.
Karaoke /ˌkæriˈəʊki/	a type of entertainment in which people sing popular songs while recorded music is played: Let’s sing karaoke!  Note karaoke is not a place, so don’t say Let’s go to a karaoke. Instead, you can say, let’s go to a karaoke bar/place or just let’s go sing karaoke.
Emoji /ɪˈməʊdʒi/	a small digital image or symbol used in electronic communication to convey an idea or feeling: She often uses emojis.
Typhoon /taɪˈfuːn/	a kind of tropical storm: The typhoon has made landfall.
Tsunami /tsuːˈnɑːmi/	a very large wave caused when something such as an earthquake moves a large quantity of water in the sea: See the tsunami evacuation map; an extremely large quantity of something bad: This is a tsunami of lies; a disastrous situation that cannot be controlled: A financial tsunami is coming.

As we have mentioned, numerous English words are used in Japanese nowadays. But some Japanese people learning English may be surprised to find out that some Japanese English expressions are actually not that natural in English. Here are a few notable examples:

ペーパードライバー (peepaa doraibaa) (from the English “paper + driver”) – a person who has a driving license but little or no experience driving

マンツーマン (mantsuman) (from the English “man-to-man”) – in Japanese the word is often used to talk about one-on-oneclasses. In English though, we don’t say “man-to-man classes”. We say “one-on-one classes/lessons” or “private classes/lessons”. In English, “man-to-man” means “involving two men who are telling each other what they really think” (Let’s talk man-to-man). It can also be an adjective: Let’s have a man-to-man conversation.

ワンピース　(wanpiisu) (from the English “one-piece”) – a dress. In English, however, a one-piece is a type of woman’s swimming costume that consists of one piece of material and which covers her chest (see the picture below). One-piece is also an adjective: this is a one-piece swimsuit.

ユーティリティー (yuutiritii) (from the English “utility”) – a room with a sink, a washing machine, etc. in a house/apartment​. In English, utility an important service such as water, electricity, or gas that is provided for everyone, and that everyone pays for.

チャームポイント　(chaamupointo) (from the English “charm point” – the most attractive feature (of a person))​. Remember it is pseudo-English, so, for example, “her eyes are her charm point” doesn’t sound natural. Say “her eyes are the most beautiful thing about her / the most beautiful part of her body” instead.

A Japanese friend once said to me, “If you want to speak like us, it’s not enough to just learn Japanese. You have to relearn English, too.”

While the reality is perhaps not quite that extreme, it is true that there are a ton of English words and phrases used in a uniquely Japanese way. These words, called gairaigo (外来語), or ‘words of foreign origin’, are not only pronounced in a Japanese way that the average English speaker wouldn’t understand, but often have entirely different meanings as well.

There are even some completely made up ‘English’ words and phrases, called wasei eigo (和製英語, or ‘Japan-made English’) that have somehow made their way into the Japanese language. Japanese people tend to assume gairaigo and wasei eigo are ‘real’ English, and are often surprised to find they are actually unintelligible to native English speakers.

The amount of gairaigo and wasei eigo in existence is a bit overwhelming, but here are a few of the most common and/or most interesting examples.

ノートパソコン (nooto pasokon): laptop computer

Japanese people seem to like to take long English words, ‘Japanify’ their pronunciation, and then shorten them, as they have done with the two words that make up this combo: ノート, short for ノートブック, or ‘notebook’; and パソコン, short for パーソナルコンピュータ, or ‘personal computer’. ノート and パソコン are the words most commonly used in Japanese for ‘notebook’ and ‘computer’ respectively. A laptop is a computer that folds up like a notebook, so it’s called a ノートパソコン. Makes sense, right?

ノートパソコンはどこにも持っていけるから便利ですね。
Nooto pasokon wa doko ni mo motte ikeru kara benri desu ne.
Laptops are convenient because you can take them anywhere.

クレーム (kureemu): complaint

Here’s an example of a word that’s come to mean something completely different than it does in English. クレーム is a Japanification of the word ‘claim’, and for some reason it means ‘complaint’. It’s most commonly used to refer to a complaint made by a customer to a business.

今日はお客さんからクレームばっかりでしんどいです。

Kyou wa okyakusan kara kureemu bakkari de shindoi desu.
I’m getting nothing but complaints from customers today, and it’s so tiring.

サラリーマン (sarariiman) and OL (ooeru): male and female office workers

Male office workers (you know, the ones who commute to work every morning on the train in their suits and ties) are called サラリーマン (from ‘salary man’) and their female counterparts are called OL (an abbreviation of ‘office lady’).

東京のサラリーマンやOLは満員電車の通勤で大変です。

Toukyou no saraiiman ya ooeru wa man’in densha no tsuukin de taihen desu.
It’s tough for Tokyo office workers having to commute on crowded trains.

コンセント (konsento): wall outlet; socket

This comes not from the English ‘consent’ as you might think, but rather from ‘concentric plug’, which was an old device consisting of an outlet and a plug. Eventually, that device was phased out and an outlet without a plug came to be referred to as a コンセント.

空港にコンセントが足りなくて困っている旅客がたくさんいます。

Kuukou ni konsento ga tarinakute komatteiru ryokyaku ga takusan imasu.
A lot of travelers are inconvenienced by the lack of outlets in airports.

ホッチキス, or ホチキス (hocchikisu, or hochikisu): stapler

No one seems to be entirely sure where this one came from. Some sources claim a man with the surname Hotchkiss invented the stapler, while others say Mr. Hotchkiss actually invented the machine gun and had his name attributed to the stapler in Japan by some sort of fluke.

ホッチキス貸してください。

Hocchikisu kashite kudasai.
Lend me a stapler, please.

カンニング (kannningu): cheating

This word comes from the English ‘cunning’. In Japanese it’s used as a noun rather than an adjective, and means ‘cheating’. You can also add する to the end of it to make a verb meaning ‘to cheat’.

テストでカンニングする人は零点になります。

Tesuto de kanningu suru hito wa reiten ni narimasu.
Anyone who cheats on the test will get a zero.

タレント (tarento): celebrity

From the English ‘talent’, this gairaigo actually refers to a uniquely Japanese type of celebrity who may or may not really have any talent in particular, but appears on variety shows doing all sorts of things to entertain people.

一番好きなタレントは誰？　私はベッキーが好き！

Ichiban suki na tarento wa dare? Watashi wa Bekkii ga suki!
Who’s your favorite celebrity? I like Becky!

サイン (sain): autograph

From the English ‘sign’, this refers not to a signature but to an autograph (of the sort you might get from a タレント). It can also be made into a verb with する.

人気タレントにサインしてもらった！

Ninki tarento ni sain shite moratta!
I got an autograph from a popular celebrity!

マイペース (mai peesu): one’s own pace

Unlike what it might sound like in English, it should be noted that the term マイペース generally has a negative connotation (as in the example below).

There are also some other wasei eigo phrases that use the English ‘my’ to mean ‘one’s own’: namely マイカー (mai kaa), meaning ‘one’s own car’, マイホーム (mai hoomu), meaning ‘one’s own home’, and even マイ箸 (maihashi), meaning ‘one’s own chopsticks (to be carried around for eating on the go)’.

あの人はいつもマイペースで適当だから昇進できないんだよ。ちょっと努力してれば今のところ成功しててマイホームも持ってるはずなのに。

Ano hito wa itsumo mai peesu de tekitou dakara shoushin dekinai n da yo. Chotto doryoku shitereba ima no tokoro seikou shitete mai hoomu mo motteru hazu nanoni.

That guy can’t get promoted because he’s always going at his own pace and doesn’t take things seriously. If he had put in some effort, he would be successful and even own a home by now.

ワンピース (wan piisu): a dress
A ‘one piece’ in Japanese is not a type of bathing suit, but a dress. (That is unless we’re talking about the popular anime One Piece, in which case it means something else entirely.) It does make sense, since a dress is an alternative to a ‘two piece’ ensemble of a shirt and a skirt.

このワンピース買おうかな？ ちょっと高いけど、すごくかわいいから！
Kono wan piisu kaou kana? Chotto takai kedo, sugoku kawaii kara!
I wonder if I should buy this dress? It’s a bit expensive, but it’s so cute!

There are of course many more gairaigo and wasei eigo than the ones listed here, but these should give you a start! What other gairaigo or wasei eigo have you come across? Do you have any favorites?

Cover image by Gwydion M. Williams.

Wasei-eigo [和製英語] is the English made in Japan, that is, they are Japanese pseudo-Anglicisms. Simply put, wasei-eigo is the general term for words based on foreign languages that have been employed in the Japanese language.

Japanese English

Generally words that are borrowed from English or other languages are written in katakana. beyond the title wasei-eigo these words can also be called Japanese English [ジャパニーズイングリッシュ].

Some Japanese words like karaoke [カラオケ] mix Japanese words with foreign words. In this case, the word void was mixed kara [空] with the word orchestra [オーケストラ] joining like this kara + ok written in katakana.

The English used in Japanese is often dismissed as “misuse of foreign languages”. However, Japanese English is not an English vocabulary, but a Japanese vocabulary, and it is natural that it cannot be understood by non-Japanese speakers.

Also, there is a Japanese-only usage in English usage in Japan and there may be a discrepancy in the meaning of words with English speakers. Just because you know English doesn’t mean you understand the wasei-eigo.

False Cognates in Japanese Wasei-Eigo

It is easy for us to confuse or find false cognates in the words wasei-eigo, since they do not always inherit the same meaning as in the West. We even wrote an article about false cognates in Japanese of different languages, including portuguese.

Sometimes an English word that is a verb can become a noun in Japanese or vice versa. In fact small-scale deviations in meaning are found in almost all foreign words.

Because of the differences between languages and their grammar, it is inevitable that the meanings of foreign words used in Japanese are different from the original words. Some English words were used by another country, culture or even by the Japanese.

Gairaigo – Words from the Foreigner

Another term besides Wasei-eigo to refer to words of foreign origin is gairaigo [外来語]. These are all words used in Japan of foreign origin written in katakana. They can originate from English, Portuguese, French and other languages.

Gairaigo literally means borrowed words other than its development in ancient Japan. These words ended up in Japanese because of new things that appeared in the westernization of the country.

Just like in English when we say download, internet, hotdog and hamburger. These words have a very common use and some can even become a suru verb as in the case of kisusuru [キスする] which means to kiss.

Engrish – Japanese people using the wrong English

There is a difference between changing the meaning of English words used in Japanese and spelling English words literally wrong. This happens in Japan the same way it happens in Brazil and other non-English speaking countries.

Engrish is slang used by speakers of Asian languages to ridicule English with incorrect use of word expressions and spelling. The coined word “Engrish” is a variation of the spelling of “English” and was originally created to mock the confusion between the English “R” and “L” sounds that are characteristic of Japanese speakers…

It can also refer to the intentional or careless misuse of English words used in advertisements aimed at foreigners. We even made an article showing some of the images with 15 examples of engrish.

Wasei-Eigo Word List

Responsive Table: Scroll the table to the side with your finger >>

Japanese	Romaji	English	Translation
〜アップ	~appu	up(grade)	update or improve (something).
〜ティック or 〜⁠チック	~tikku or ~chikku	the “-tic” suffix, from (roman)tic, (drama)tic	romantic and dramatic.
アフターサービス	afutāsābisu	after service	customer service, user support, service
アイドル	aidoru	idol	(teenager) idol, pop star
アイスクリーム	aisu kurīmu	ice cream	Ice cream
アメフト	amefute	love(rican) foot(ball)	football/soccer
アメリカンドッグ	amerikandogggu	american dog	Corn Dog
アニメ	anime	anima(tion)	animation.
アニソン	anison	ani(me) + son(g)	anime songs
アパート	apt	apart(ment)	apartment
アポ	apo	appo(intment)	commitment
アールブイ	ārubui	rv	truck, van, suv, vehicle
アウトコース	autokosu	out course	outside
バーゲン	bagen	bargain	bargain
バイク	baiku	bike	a motorcycle
バックミラー	bakkumira	back mirror	rearview mirror
バックナンバー	bakkunanbā	back number	late number
バックネット	bakkunetto	back net	a retreat (in baseball)
バリアフリー	bariafurī	barrier free	accessible facilities for people with disabilities
バター	batā	butter	butter
バッティング	battingu	batting or butting	hits
ベビーカー	baby	baby car	baby carriage
ベッドタウン	beddotaun	bed town	dormitories
ビジネスホテル	bijinesuhoteru	business hotel	business hotels
ビル	biru	build(ding)	construction
ボールペン	borupen	ball(point) pen	ballpoint pen
ブックカバー	bukkukaba	book cover	book cover
ブラセラ ou ブルセラ	burasera or burusera	bloo(mer) sailor	fetish for panties / sailor clothes.
ブレザー	burezā	blazer	blazer, or a Japanese school uniform
ブルマ	buruma	bloomers	women’s physical education clothing
チェリーボーイ	cheribōi	cherry boy	a virgin man
チアガール	chiagaru	cheer girl	cheerleading girl
チアマン	chiaman	cheer man	cheerleading boy
チアリーダー	chiarida	cheerleader	cheerleader
チアリーディング	chiarīdingu	cheerleading	be a cheerleader
チケット	chiketto	ticket	ticket / ticket
ダブルダブる	daburu	double	double
ダンプカー	danpuka	dump car	dump truck
ダストボックス	dasutobokkusu	dust box	dust can / garbage can
ダウンロードオンリーメンバー	daunrōdoonrīmenbā	download only member	download for members only
デッドボール	deddoboru	dead ball	dead ball
デコレーションケーキ	dekorēshonkēki	decoration cake	cake decoration
デパート	department	department(ment store)	Department store
デリバリーヘルス	deribarīherusu	delivery health	prostitute, call girl
デスク	desuku	desk	table
ドクター ストップ	dokutasutoppu	doctor stop	medical stop
ドンマイ	donmai	don(‘t) mi(nd)	I do not care
ドライバー	doraiba	driver	driver
ドライブイン	doraibuin	drive in	drive in
ドラマ	drama	drama	tv drama / soap opera / series
ドリフト	dorifuto	drift	drift / drift
エアコン	eak	air con(ditioning) or air con(ditioner)	air conditioning
ave	ēbui or ēvui		adult video / video
エッチ	ecchi	h (first letter of hentai base)	dirty naughty sex
エンスト	ensuto	en(gine) sto(p)	engine stop
エレベーター	erebeta	elevator	elevator
エロ	ero	Eros)	erotic
エログ	erogu	ero(tic) + (b)log	erotic blog
エログロ	eroguro	ero(tic) gro(tesque)	grotesque porn
エール	ēru	yell	shout out
llc	eruerushī	acronym for “long life coolant”	acronym for «long life to soda»
エスカレーター	esukarētā	escalator	escalator
ファイト	fact	fight	fight
ファミコン	famikon, famicom	family(ly) com(puter)	nintendo
ファンタジック	fantajikku	fantasy + -ic	Fantastic
フェッチ	fecchi	fetch	search
～フェチ	closed	feti(sh)	fetish
フォアボール	foaboru	four ball	four ball
フライ	pierce	fry	fry
フライ	pierce	fly	flying ball
フライドポテト	furaidopotete	fried potato	French fries
フライング(スタート)	furaingu(sutato)	flying (start)	start of flight
フリーダイアル or フリーダイヤル	furīdaiaru or furīdaiyaru	free dial	toll free
フリーサイズ	furīsaizu	free size	free size
フロント	furious	front (desk)	Front desk
フロントガラス	furontogarasu	front glass	front glass
ガードマン	gādoman	guard man	safety
ガソリンスタンド	gasorinsuating	gasoline stand	gas station
ガッツポーズ	gattsu pozu	guts pose	show courage, strength
ゲームセンター or ゲーセン	gēmusentā or gēsen	game center	card / arcade
ギブ(アップ)	gibu(appu)	give up)	to give up
ゴールデンアワーor ゴールデンタイム	gōruden’awā or gōrudentaimu	golden hour or golden time	golden hour or golden age
ゴールデンウィーク or ゴールデンウイーク	gōruden’wīku or gōruden’uīku	golden week	one week vacation in japan
グラス	gurasu	glass	glass
グロ	guru	gro(tesque)	grotesque
ギャラリー	gyarari	gallery	gallery
ハイカラ	haikara	high collar(r)	slang for western coins
ハイネック	hainekku	high neck	turtleneck
ハイタッチ	haitacchi	high touch	touch here
ハッカー	hakka	hacker
ハンバーグ	hanbāgu	hamburg (er steak)	Burger
ハンドル	handoru	handle	to handle
ハンドルキーパー	handorukīpā	handle keeper	designated driver
ハンドルネーム	handorunēmu	handle name	user name
ハンカチ	hankachi	han(d)kerchie(f)	tissue
ハンスト	hansuto	hun(ger) st(rike)	hunger strike
ハッピーエンド	happy	happy end	happy ending
ハウス	hausu	(vinyl) + house	House
ヘアピンカーブ	heapinkabu	hairpin curve	curve
ヘルスメーター	herusumētā	health meter	health meter
ヒップ	hippu	hips	buttocks, ass
ホッチキス	hocchikisu	hotchkiss	stapled
ホーム	humu	(plat)form	platform
ホットケーキ	hottokēki	hotcake	pancake
ホワイトデー	howaitodē	white + day	valentine’s day — white day
イメージ	imēji	image	Image
イン・キー	in kī	in key	in the key
インフレ	infuse	infla(tion)	inflation
イラスト	irasuto	illustration(ration)	illustration
イヤー・オブ・ザ・コーチ	iya obu za kōchi	year of the coach	coach of the year
ジャンパー	japa	jumper	jacket, blazer
ジェンダーフリー	jendāfurī	gender free	free sex
ジェットコースター	jettokōsuta	jet coaster	roller coaster
ジーパン	jipan	jea(ns) + pan(ts)	jeans
ジュース	jusu	juice	juice
カメラマン	kameraman	cameraman	cameraman
カモン or カモーン	kamon or kamon	come on	we will
カンニング	kanningu	cunning	cunning
カシューナッツ	kashū nattsu	cashew nut	cashew nut
キーボード	kibōdo	keyboard	keyboard
キッチンペーパー	kicchinpēpā	kitchen paper	kitchen paper
キーホルダー	kīhoruda	key holder	keychain
キスマーク	kisumaku	kiss mark	kiss mark
コインランドリー	koin randorī	coin laundry	laundry
コインロッカー	koin rokka	coin locker	coin cabinet
コンビニ	konbini	conveni(ence store)	convenience store
コンピューター or コンピュータ	konpyūtā or konpyūta	computer	computer
コンセント	consent	concentrate(ric plug)	power plug
コラボ	korabo	collab(orations)	collaborate
コロッケー	korokke	croquette	croquet
コスプレ	kosupure	cos(tume) play	cosplay
クラブ or 倶楽部	kurabu	club	club or society
クラクション	kurakushon	klaxon	electric horn
クリスタル	kurisutaru	crystal	crystal
キャベツ	kyabetsu	cabbage	cabbage
キャビンアテンダント	kyabinatendentanto	cabin attendant	cabin attendant
キャッチボール	kyacchiboru	catch ball	ball capture
キャッチホン	kyacchihon	catch phone	call in wait
キャンペーン	kyanpēn	campaign	campaign
キャップ	kyappu	cap	cap
マグカップ	magukappu	mug cup	cup / mug
マイ〜	May~	my	mine
マイナスドライバー	mainasudoraiba	minus driver	screwdriver
マジックインキ	majikkuinki	magic ink (a registered trademark of uchida yoko co., ltd.)	magic ink
マジックテープ	majikkutēpu	magic tape	magic ribbon
マニア	mania	mania	enthusiasm, enthusiast
マンション	manshon	mansion	mansion
マスコミ	masukomi	mass communication	mass communication
マザコン	mazakon	mother com(plex)[1]	with the mother
メール	meru	mail	post office
メールマガジン	mērumagajin	mail magazine	mail magazine
ミルク	miruku	milk	milk
ミシン	mishin	(sewing) machine	Sewing machine
モバイル	mobairu	mobile	mobile and portable communication devices.
モボ	mobo	mo(dern) bo(y)	modern man
モガ	girl	mo(dern) gi(rl)	modern girl
モーニングコートor モーニング	mōningukōto or mōningu	morning coat	tailcoat
モーニングサービス or モーニング	moningusābisu	morning service	morning service
モーテル	moteru	motel	motel
ムーディ	mudi	moody	moody
ナンバーディスプレイ	nanbādisupurei	number display	display number
ノークレームノーリターン	nōkurēmunōritān	no claim, no return	no claim, no return
ノート	noto	note	note
ニューハーフ	nyūhāfu	new-half	new sock
オーバー	oba	over	The end
オージー	ōjī	orgy	orgy
オンリーワン	onrīwan	only one	only one
オープンカー	ōpunka	open car	convertibles (car)
オーライ	orai	a(ll) right(t)	it’s all right
パイン	pain	pine(apple)	pineapple
パーマ	pama	perma(not wave)	permanent
パネリスト	paneruct	panelist	speaker
パンク	panku	punc(ture)	flat tire
パンスト	pansuto	pan(ty) + sto(cking)	pantyhose
パンツ	pantsu	pants	underwear, can be used for any underwear, including panties.
パソコン	pasokon	person(nal) with(puter)	computer (abbreviated slang)
パーソナルコンピューター	pāsonaru konpyūtā	personal computer	personal computer
ペアルック	pearukku	pair look	matching clothes (usually between a couple)
ペーパードライバー	pēpādoraibā	paper driver	who has a license but does not drive
ペーパーカンパニー	pēpākanpanī	paper company	fictitious company, shell company, paper company
ペーパーテスト	pēpātesuto	paper test	written exam / test
ピンチ	pinchi	(in a) pinch	potentially disastrous situation
ポケベル	pokeberu	pocket(t) bell	beep, pager
ポケモン	pokemon	pocke(t) mon(ster)	pocket monsters
ポスト	pose	post	mail box
プラスドライバー	purasudoraiba	plus driver	phillips screwdriver
プリクラ	purikura	print club (trademark)	print photo
プロ	pure	professional	professional
ラブホテル	rabuhoteru	love hotel	hotel for couples…
ライバル	raibaru	rival	rival
ライブアクション	raibuakushon	live action	Live
ライブハウス	raibuhausu	live house	concert hall
ライフライン	raifurain	lifeline	rope of life
ラムネ	ramune	lemon (from)	Lemonade
ランニングホームラン	ranninguhōmuran	running home run	running a home run
リベンジ	ribenji	revenge	revenge
リーチ	rīchi	reach	catch up
リフォーム	rifōmu	reform	remodeling
リモコン	rimokon	row(te) con(trol)	Remote Control
リンクフリー	rinkufurī	free link	free call
リニューアル	rinyūaru	renewal	renovation
ロードショー	rōdoshō	roadshow (theatrical release)	debut
ロケーションハンティング, ロケハン	rokēshonhantingu, rokehan	location hunting	hunting ground
ロマンスグレー	romansugurē	gray romance	silver gray hair
ロマンスカー	romansukā	romance car	luxury train
ロープウェー	ropuwe	rope way	airship path
ロリコン	rorikon	loli(ta) com(plex)	sexual attraction to minors.
ロスタイム	rosutaimu	loss time	waste of time
サービス	sābisu	service	service
サイダー	exit	cider	cider
サイドブレーキ	Saidoburēki	side brake	side brake
サイン	leave	sign	board
サインペン	sainpen	sign pen	label, trade name
サンドバッグ	sandobaggu	sandbag	sand bag
サンドイッチ or サンド	sandoicchi, sando	sand(wich)	sandwich
サラリーマン	sarariman	salary + man	salaried: a salaried office
セフレ	safe	if(x) + cold(nd)	sexual partner, casual, sex friends
セックス	sekkusu	Fri	sex
セクハラ	sekuhara	sex(ual) hara(ssment)	sexual harassment
センス	sensu	sense	sense
セレブ	serebu	celeb(rity)	celebrity
シャープペンシルor シャーペン	shapenshiru or shapen	shar(p) pencil or shar(p) pen(cil)	automatic pencil
シーエム	shīemu	cm (commercial message)	television ad
シール	shīru	seal	stamp
シルバーシート	shirubāshito	silver seat (referring to the silver hair of cuddle passengers)	silver seat, priority light
ソフト	sofuto	soft(ware)	Software
ソフトクリーム	sofutokurīmu orsoftcream	soft (ice) cream	cream ice cream
ソーラーシステム	sōrāshisutemu	solar system	solar system (energy)
スイートルーム	suītorūmu	suite room	suite
スカイ	sukai	sky	sky
スケボー	sukebo	ska(te)bo(ard)	skateboard
スケルトン	sukeruton	skeleton	skeleton
スキー	sukī	ski	ski
スキンシップ	sukinshippu	skin + -ship	skinship
スマート	sumato	smart	intelligent
スムーズ	sumūzu	smooth (transaction)	successful transaction
スーパー	supa	super(market)	supermarket
スパッツ, スパッツタイツ	supattsu, supattsutaitsu	spats, spats tights	leggings, tights
スペル	overcame	spell	spell
スリーサイズ	surīsaizu	three size	three size
ストーブ	sutōbu	stove	stove
ストライキ or スト	sutoraiki or suto	strike or st(rike)	strike
タイムオーバー	taimuōbā	time over	time is over
タレント	tarant	talent	talent
テンキー	tenkī	have key	numeric keyboard
テンション	tenshon	tension	voltage
テレビ	terebi	television(sion)	TV
テレビゲーム	terebigēmu	televi(sion) game	video game
テレカ	tereka	tele(phone) ca(rd)	tele (telephone) ca (rd)
ティーンエージャー	tīn’ējā	teenager	adolescent
トイレ(ット)	toire(tto)	toilet(t)	Restroom
トランプ	toranpu	trump(s)	trump
ヴァイキング	vaikingu	viking	viking
ワンパターン	wanpatan	one pattern	a pattern
ワンピース	wanpisu	one piece	one piece
ワープロ	wāpuro	wor(d) pro(cessor)	word processor
ウィンカー or ウインカー	winkā or uinka	winker	turn signal
ヤンエグ	yan’egu	youn(g) ex(ecutive)	young executive
ヨット	yotto	yacht	yacht

There are probably thousands of other words, in the future I intend to update this list even more. Leave your comment if you missed an important word or any mistake or suggestion.

Videos about Wasei-Eigo

Below you can follow some videos about wasei-eigo from our friends Ricardo Cruz and Otaku in Japan talking a little about Wasei-Eigo:

If possible like our page and share our articles.

Did you know that you already know a little Japanese? It’s true! 

Think of karaoke. Emoji. Karate. 

In fact, there are tons of words we use in English that are actually Japanese. That’s why we thought it might be fun to take a look at some of the many Japanese words in English, called loanwords.

But what exactly is a loanword? 

Basically, it’s when a language decides that the term another language uses for something will work just fine. 

There’s no unique English word for sushi, for example – what would be the point in coming up with a different name? Saying sushi is understandable to more people, makes it clear what you’re referring to, and just… works. 

When a language has a pre-existing word for a thing or concept because it existed in the culture or area where the language developed, you’ll have a different word. 

For example, just about every language has a word for water or the sun. But something new or unique to another culture will tend to be introduced with its original name. Ramen. Ukulele. Tango.

In fact, English as a language, being more flexible and having no governing linguistic academy, uses a particularly large number of loanwords. (Like, tens of thousands of loanwords!) 

How many Japanese words are there in the English language? At latest count, Japanese had roughly a modest 150 words from Japanese roots appearing in the English lexicon, but that number is growing. 

That said, we thought we’d showcase the Japanese words we use most in English – and 49 seems like more than enough, don’t you think?

 Without further ado, here’s everything you need to know about our 49 favourite Japanese words in English. 

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But wait, you already know these words!

Why spend time poring over English words you’re already familiar with when you could start learning new and exciting Japanese words right now with Busuu’s award-winning online language course?

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Here are 49 common Japanese words in English

1. Anime – fun fact, anime is really a loanword of a loanword! “Animation” became anime (アニメ) in Japanese, which became the English word for Japanese animation. Whew!
2. Bonsai – from the Japanese bonsai (盆栽), literally “tray planting”
3. Daikon – from the Japanese daikon (大根), literally “big root”
4. Dojo  – from the Japanese dōjō (道場),  literally “place of the Way”
5. Edamame – from the Japanese edamame (枝豆), literally “stem bean” or “branch bean”
6. Emoji – from the Japanese e (絵, ‘picture’) and moji (文字, ‘character’), originally meaning a pictogram
7. Futon – from the Japanese futon (布団), meaning a meditation cushion or Japanese-style bedding set up on the floor; itself a loanword from Middle Chinese bu-dwan (蒲團), meaning “meditation cushion”
8. Geisha – from the Japanese geisha (芸者), used to refer to geishas but meaning, more literally, artisan or performing artist
9. Haiku – from the Japanese haiku (俳句)
10. Hibachi – from the Japanese hibachi (火鉢) coming from hi (火, “fire”) and‎ hachi (鉢, “bowl”)
11. Honcho (as in head honcho) – from the Japanese hanchō (班長), meaning ‘group leader’ or ‘squad leader’
12. Judo – from the Japanese jūdō (柔道) literally “gentle way”
13. Jujutsu (a.k.a. jiu jitsu) – from the Japanese jūjutsu (柔術)
14. Kamikaze – from the Japanese kamikaze (神風), literally “divine wind” or “spirit wind”
15. Kanban – from the Japanese kanban (看板), meaning “signboard” or “billboard”
16. Karaoke – from the Japanese karaoke (カラオケ), from the Japanese kara (空, “empty”) and ōkesutora (オーケストラ, “orchestra”)
17. Karate – from the Japanese karate (空手)
18. Katana – from the Japanese katana (刀), which simply means “single-edged sword”
19. Kimono – from the Japanese kimono (着物) literally, “thing to wear (on the shoulders)”
20. Koi (fish) – from the Japanese koi (鯉)
21. Manga – from the Japanese manga (漫画), formed from man (漫, whimsical) and ga (画, “pictures”)
22. Miso – from the Japanese miso (味噌)
23. Mochi – from the Japanese mochi (餅)
24. Napa cabbage – from the Japanese nappa (菜っ葉), meaning the leaves of a vegetable as food (the Japanese name for this cabbage is actually hakusai (白菜)!
25. Ninja – from the Japanese ninja (忍者)
26. Origami – from the Japanese origami (折り紙), from ori (折り, “to fold”) and kami (紙, “paper”)
27. Panko – from the Japanese panko (パン粉), from pan (パン, bread – a loanword from the Portuguese pão!) and ko (粉, flour. crumb, or coating)
28. Ramen – from the Japanese rāmen (拉麺)
29. Rickshaw – from the Japanese jinrikisha (人力車), literally “human-powered vehicle”
30. Sake – from the Japanese sake (酒), which in Japanese refers to any alcoholic drink
31. Samurai – from the Japanese samurai (侍)
32. Sayonara – from the Japanese sayōnara (さようなら), which, FYI, is more of a “farewell” than a casual goodbye
33. Sensei – from the Japanese sensei (先生), meaning “elder” or “teacher”
34. Shiatsu (massage) – from the Japanese shiatsu (指圧), literally “finger pressure”
35. Shiba Inu – from the Japanese shiba inu (柴犬), which means “brushwood dog”
36. Skosh (as in just a skosh) – from the Japanese sukoshi (少し), pronounced like “sko-shi”, which means “just a little bit”
37. Soy – from the Japanese shoyu (醤油), the Japanese name for soy sauce
38. Sudoku – from the Japanese sūdoku (数独), which literally translates to something like “single digit”
39. Sumo – from the Japanese sumō (相撲), literally “striking one another”
40. Sushi – from the Japanese sushi (寿司)
41. Tempura – from the Japanese tenpura (天麩羅), itself likely borrowed from Portuguese or Spanish
42. Teriyaki – from the Japanese teriyaki (照り焼き)
43. Tofu – from the Japanese tōfu (豆腐)
44. Tsunami – from the Japanese tsunami (津波), meaning “harbour wave”
45. Tycoon – from the Japanese taikun (大君), meaning a lord, imperial prince, or shōgun
46. Umami – from the Japanese umami (旨味), a term coined by a chemist in the early 1900s combining umai (うまい, “delicious”) and mi (味, “taste”)
47. Wabi-sabi – from the Japanese wabi-sabi (侘寂)
48. Wasabi – from the Japanese wasabi (山葵)
49. Zen – from the Japanese zen (禅), which was an adaptation of a Chinese word, which was an adaptation of a Sanskrit word – what a wordy world!

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See? You learn lots of Japanese words just speaking English

And get this – it doesn’t end there. There are oodles of English loanwords (and loanwords from other European languages) in Japanese that might surprise you. Here are just a few examples of English words in Japanese: 

Katakana	Romaji	English
ビール	bīru	beer
アンサー	ansā	answer
バーゲン	bāgen	bargain
コインランドリー	koin randorī	coin laundry
ポスト	posuto	post – a mailbox (US), a postbox (UK)

Learn anything new? We sure hope so! Let us know your favourite Japanese loan words in English (or vice versa!) in the comments.

Now that you’ve gotten a taste of learning Japanese, why not keep this learning train rolling? With Busuu, you get award-winning course content and help from native Japanese speakers at your fingertips.

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An interesting phenomenon of the modern Japanese language is the various crazy ways English is mixed in as slang or otherwise. Some English words are so common that practically every Japanese person will understand what they mean. For instance, despite being a fairly difficult word, probably just about everybody knows what charisma （カリスマ） means. And the phrase 「アピールする」 has become so common that it is more accurate to say that it’s simply part of the Japanese vocabulary.

However, by English, we’re not talking about real English but the special bastardized Japanese version. As a result, all of this knowledge is pretty much useless for real English (unfortunately for the Japanese who all seem keen on mastering English). However, it does make things much more interesting for us; the ones that are learning Japanese. （ある意味でね）

Making Japanese verbs with English words

Today, I want to talk about an interesting class of verbs that come directly from English. Katakana words are mostly nouns since verbs require endings that can be conjugated. However, the clever Japanese youth have figured a way around this by simply attaching a generic u-verb 「る」 ending. This ending was selected undoubtably because it felt the most natural to the pioneers of modern Japanese.

A very useful verb of this type is 「サボる」, which originally comes from サボタージュ (sabotage). You will almost certainly see this verb whenever somebody is slacking off, skipping class, and the like.

試験があるから、明日の授業はサボらない方がいいよ。
– Because there is a test, it’s better not to skip tomorrow’s class.

Other less common verbs of this type include 「ダブる」 (to coincide), 「トラブる」 (to act up, cause trouble), 「ミスる」 (to miss), and 「ハモる」 (to harmonize).

ごめん、ちょっと予定がダブっちゃったからドタキャンしていい？
– Sorry, my plans ended up doubling so is it OK if I cancel at the last minute?

In a similar vein, although it’s not used very often, instead of saying 「タクシーを呼ぶ」 or 「バスに乗る」, you can also say 「タクる」 and 「バスる」 .

終電を逃したから、仕方なく家までタクった。
– I missed the last train so having no other choice, I took a taxi home.

Yet another great, recent example of this type of verb is 「ググる」. With the popularity of google.com, you might be aware that “google” has become a new verb meaning “to search something with google”. Well, Japanese also has a similar verb: 「ググる」. (Google is 「グーグル」 in Japanese but 「グーグル」 is harder to say, so the verb became 「ググる」)

それくらい自分でググれ。
– That much, you can figure it out for youself. (Lit: That amount, search on google by yourself.)

I’m gonna stop here before mentioning the various types of restaurant verbs like 「マクる」 (to go to McDonalds)、and 「ファミる」 (to go to a family restaurant) because slang of this type are usually just a passing fad. (And probably won’t make sense to Japanese people over the age of 25)

※The key thing to remember when using these verbs is that you must conjugate them as u-verbs.

While the Japanese language has borrowed a lot of English words, we can say the same thing the other way around. Words like sushi, karate or tsunami are so commonly used that it might be easy to forget that they are loanwords used in English that come from Japan. If you’ve been studying Japanese for any amount of time, you’ve probably experienced what could be called the katakana glitch. You see a katakana word and you just can’t figure out what it is until you mouth it, after which you might utter something like ‘oh, it’s just closet’. New words are crossing over perhaps due in part to the Internet and pop culture. 

There are a lot of English words of Japanese origin. Let’s take tsunami, for instance. There’s no English word to describe huge tidal waves, so it was borrowed from Japanese words. Interesting, right? 

This post on Japanese loanwords in English covers some of the old, new and in-between, but is by no means exhaustive. A lot of these loanwords are originally written in kanji and hiragana. If you need to review hiragana and katakana, head to this article. By the end of this article, who knows? New words are probably being borrowed at this very minute. 

Jump to:

• Japanese Loanwords Used in English for Food and Entertainment
• Japanese Loanwords Used in English for Sport and Martial Arts
• Japanese Loanwords Used in English for Performing and Literary Arts
• Other Japanese Loanwords We Use

Japanese Loanwords Used in English for Food and Entertainment

In 2013, UNESCO named Japanese food an intangible cultural heritage. The flavors and practices associated with Japanese food are unique. Many of the Japanese loanwords in English reflect that uniqueness. Similarly, many aspects of Japanese entertainment tend to originate in Japan, and the English words borrowed from Japanese show that.

1. Karaoke (カラオケ)

Did you even know this was a Japanese word before coming into actual contact with Japan or the language? We didn’t, and we’re guessing we might not be the only one. Also, have you seen anyone do karaoke like the Japanese? This word literally means empty (kara) orchestra (oke).

2. Sudoku　(すどく)

If you’ve played sudoku and understand it, more power to you. This game and its title originated in Japan 1984 and have since become very popular all over the world. The su comes from suji or suu (数)meaning number and the doku (独) means single. The overall aim of the game is to get numbers to appear once in squares in a grid. So literally, the numbers must remain single. Or suuji wa dokushin ni kagiru (数字は独身に限る）, which was the original title of the game. 

A similar type of game was actually played by the Europeans in the 18th century. In 1980s, a Japanese publisher distributed sudoku, which turned into a huge hit and became a popular game since then. 

3. Pachinko　(パチンコ)

Hard to spend any time in Japan and not see a pachinko parlor. Pachinko is a kind of pinball game played in arcade games or, more commonly, gambling parlor. Japanese people like to make words that mimic or represents the sound you hear, like the bees buzzing or the snake hissing. The word pachinko is partly made up of a Japanese onomatopoeia. The first part, pachin, is from the sound that the metal pinball makes as it hits an obstacle.The ko is a diminutive suffix that means something like ‘little’. 

4. Soy (sauce, beans)

Tofu and miso are obviously Japanese loanwords, but soy? Yes, apparently it comes from しょうゆ (shoyu), which is Japanese for soy sauce. The actual Japanese term for the bean is daizu. Edamame, which are green soybeans, is also commonly used in English. 

5. Tamari　(たまりしょうゆ)

This one is kind of hip these days. Many recipe bloggers suggest using tamari as a ‘healthy’ alternative to regular soy sauce. Tamari is richer, thicker and less salty than regular soy sauce, but it is also made from fermented soybeans. 

6. Shiitake, maitake, matsutake, and enoki mushrooms　(椎茸、舞茸、松茸、えのき)

Did I miss any? Many Japanese mushroom names have been carried over and used as-is in English. The most popular of these might be shiitake, which is often pronounced without the second ‘i’, resulting in shitake. 

7. Umami (旨味)

Perhaps because of the significance of washoku or traditional Japanese cuisine, many food-related words have crossed over into the English language. Umami is generally described as that savory flavor in some cooked meats and mushrooms, for example. Washoku itself is also a Japanese loanword used in English. 

8. Dashi　(だし)

No mention of washoku can exclude dashi, stock made from fish or kelp that is used as the base for many Japanese dishes. Dashi is commonly used in English to mean the same thing.

9. Katsu (curry or chicken katsu)　(かつ)

Katsu refers to cutlets of meat that are breaded using panko and deep fried. The cutlets are usually pork or chicken. Katsu is served with a sauce or with curry. In fact, in some places overseas, katsu curry has become so popular, the term is used to mean all Japanese curry. 

10. Panko　(パン粉)

You might have guessed this from the previous entry, but panko is breadcrumbs. They are commonly used in Japanese cooking and the product and the name have crossed over into English-speaking cultures. 

The word panko is actually a combination of loanword that didn’t come from English and the original Japanese word. “Pan” came from the Portuguese language, pao, and ko (粉) is a Japanese word that meant “flour” or “dust”. 

The biggest difference between panko and standard breadcrumbs is that panko is made from bread without crusts. Panko’s crustless white bread is coarsely ground into airy, large flakes that give fried foods a light, crunchy coating.

11. Amazake (甘酒)

Making the list of words of Japanese origin recently recorded in the Oxford English Dictionary, amazake is a sweet, fermented drink made from rice. Unlike sake, which is also made from rice, amazake is not alcoholic. It literally means sweet (ama) sake. 

12. Manga (漫画)

These loanwords are used the same way in English they are in Japanese. One distinction is that while manga means comics in general in Japan, the term typically means Japanese comics in English. 

13. Emoji　(絵文字)

Texting and instant messaging is just not the same without emoji, graphics that help express an emotion when words are just not enough. But the cute, yellow pictogram you’ve been using on your iphone? The word came from the Japanese language. The kanji 絵 (え) means “picture” and 文字 (もじ) means  “character” or “letter.” You might learn some new emoji from the emojipedia online. 

Japanese Loanwords Used in English for Sport and Martial Arts

Japanese martial arts are known the world over by their Japanese names. These are quite established loanwords, and the sports themselves continue to gain devotees.

14. Judo　(柔道)

Japanese martial arts are well-known throughout the English-speaking world, by their Japanese names. Judo, a defensive martial art, is no exception. The term originates from soft, gentle (柔; juu) and way, road (道; do). Judo is an Olympic event, and practitioners are usually called judoka (柔道家). 

When you’re saying the word “judo” in Japanese, remember to elongate the first syllable: Ju-u-dou. In English, however, you can shorten it. 

15. Jujutsu　(柔術)

Precursor to judo, this is also a Japanese unarmed martial art. The first part of the term, juu means gentle, just like in judo and the jutsu (術) means skill or art. There are variant spellings in English including jiu-jitsu or ju-jitsu. 

16. Karate　(空手)

This is definitely one of those Japanese loan words that just rolls off the tongue. Many people probably recognise nothing ‘foreign’ in the word karate. The term originates from empty (kara) and hand (te), meaning fighting with bare hands. 

17. Kendo　(剣道)

This Japanese martial art is armed. Players use bamboo swords and wear protective guards. The ken means sword and do, way. 

18. Sumo　(相撲)

Often suffixed with ‘wrestling’ in English, sumo means to fight. It’s not just the word that has crossed borders. Many non-Japanese people have succeeded as sumo wrestlers, in what is perceived to be a closed and very traditional world. Check out this quick guide to sumo related terms to learn a bit more about the sport. 

Japanese Loanwords Used in English for Performing and Literary Arts

From the theater to the page, traditional Japanese performing and literary arts have become well-known in English-speaking cultures. 

19. Kabuki　(歌舞伎)

This is a kind of Japanese theater. The Online Etymology Dictionary cites two possible origins of this Japanese loanword. One is that kabuki comes from the verb kabuku, meaning to deviate. The first kabuki performance was given in a shrine by a girl, dressed as a man, which was outside of the norm. The other explanation is that kabuki means  ‘art of song and dance,’ from ka (song), bu (dance), and ki  (art, skill). 

20. Noh　(能)

In Noh theater, performers sing and dance while wearing masks. This loanword comes from the Japanese meaning ‘talent’.

21. Tanka　(短歌)

A poem written using just five lines, tanka means short (tan) song (ka). In English, the poems typically use five lines and 31 syllables, but in Japanese, they are typically written in three lines. 

22. Haiku (俳句)

If you’ve heard about haiku, you probably have the impression that it takes immense skill to craft them. These poems are written using a set number of syllables. The haiku consists of three lines, with five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in the third.

Though haiku were originally written in Japanese, English poems following this pattern also go by the same name. Literally meaning light (haikai no)  verse (ku), these poems are often about nature. 

23. Senryu　(川柳)

This loanword refers to another type of Japanese poetry that’s similar to haiku. Senryu tend to talk about people, rather than nature, however. This form was named after a poet who frequently practiced it. 

Other Japanese Loanwords We Use in English

From business to bedding and natural disasters, Japanese loanwords are used in many areas of life. The following words don’t fall neatly into the categories we have here. But they are still commonly used. 

24. Tycoon (大君)

You’ve probably heard this word used a lot with another t-word, tech, as in tech tycoon. Its origins have little do with technology, however. Taikun was the name foreigners gave to the shogun (another loanword) when they came to Japan in the 1800s. Over time, taikun (great lord) became tycoon. Today, the word refers to someone of tremendous wealth and power. 

25. Honcho　(班長)

This is another loanword often used alliteratively with head, as in head honcho, meaning leader. The term originates from Japanese han (group) and cho (leader), and was apparently picked up by foreigners in Japan during the second world war.  

26. Skosh (少し: Sukoshi)

Have you ever noticed someone saying, “Just a skosh.” Maybe you’re asking if you need to add more salt when you are making soup. This loanward is a shortening of the Japanese sukoshi, meaning a little. It was adopted by the US servicement when they were stationed in Japan after World War II It is used in the same way in English, and carries the nuance of a really tiny amount. 

27. Zen　(善)

This loanword originates from the Japanese school of Zen Buddhism that focuses on meditation. In common use in English, zen means calm and peaceful, and doesn’t explicitly refer to Buddhism. 

28. Futon　(布団)

Futon is one of those loanwords that perhaps many people have forgotten is, in fact, a loanword. It’s used to describe a flat mattress that can be rolled up, which is traditional bedding in Japan. However, in English, people refer to couches that have pull-out beds as futons. The fu in this loanword means sheet or cloth, and the ton means group. 

29. Ikigai (生きがい)

Ikigai, as a concept, has been making waves in the English-speaking world in recent years. Iki means life and gai means value, so the term translates to ‘reason for being’. The idea is that with a reason for being or a purpose, people can live more fulfilling lives, as those lives get longer. 

30 Tsunami　(津波)

Originating from harbor (tsu) and wave (nami), this word has been in use in many unfortunate circumstances recently. As with the original Japanese, it describes a large sea wave caused by an earthquake. Tsunami has also been used in a figurative sense to mean a large and sudden amount of something. 

Conclusion

Now with these 30 Japanese loanwords under your belt, maybe you’ll be able to identify other loanwords more easily. You’ve no doubt been using many of them and as the English language continues to borrow words from Japanese, you’ll end up using even more Japanese, in English. For loanwords in Japanese that didn’t come from English, check out this article. 

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Does English have Japanese loanwords?

Yes, English language borrows a lot of Japanese words. For example, tsunami, tycoon and sudoku came from the Japanese equivalent. English language also retains a lot of original Japanese food-related words, like sushi, katsu and dashi.

What English words are borrowed from Japan?

Among many of them, the most common English words borrowed from Japan are:

• Tsunami
• Karaoke
• Tycoon
• Sushi
• Skosh
• Ramen
• Futon

Does Japan borrow words from the English language?

Yes, Japanese has around 4,500 words that are borrowed from English. Loanwords borrowed from a foreign language is called gairaigo (外来語).