UPDATE: Full list including PDF now available here

Wasei eigo (English made in Japan) is by far my favourite way of referring to this kind of language, but unfortunately it just ain’t an English expression. So “Japanese English” it will have to be when I finally finish what is turning into a 5000 word article on the topic…

Meanwhile, here on my (it’s just a) blog, I can put what the hell I like:

M (emu) – medium (clothing size). Some Japanese are not even aware of what word it stands for.

machine(mashin) – sewing machine. The longer expression is never used, and machine is never used with the larger meaning

madam (madamu) – proprietress of a bar (rather than an owner of a brothel)

Madam killer (madamu kiraa) – a lady killer

magic (majikku) – magic marker/ permanent marker

mail (meeru) – email and SMS, but not “snail mail”

mail ad (meeru ado) – email address

main bank (mein banku) – the bank that a company does most business with

Mama (san) – bar proprietress. Mama also means mother

man to man (man tsu man) – one to one/ face to face. Apparently not considered sexist

mania (mania) – a fanatic (of sports etc). Note that the first vowel sound is not the A that it is in English, but rather a short a

manner mode – mobile phone’s vibrate/ silent mode

mansion – a slightly higher class of concrete apartment block, not a large house

maron (from French) – chestnut flavoured sweets etc (but not chestnuts themselves, which are “kuri”)

mash potato (masshu poteto) – mashed potatoes

mass game (masu geimu) – group calisthenics, e.g. warm up exercises for factory workers??

mass pro (masu puro) – short for mass production

master (masuta) – manager of small coffee shop, bar or night club, not an expert

Master (masutaa) – master’s (degree)

master course (masutaa coosu) – a Master’s program

meat shop (miito shoppu) – a butcher’s (not a pickup bar!)

mecha (meka) – mechanical

medias (mejiasu, from Spanish) – knitted goods, apparently

memo- note. Easy to explain the English meaning as Japanese do know the longer word “memorandum”

merit (meritto) – advantages (as against “demerit”- disadvantages)

mes (mesu, from Dutch) – scalpel

mind (maindo) – intention

mini pat (mini paato) – small patrol car/ police car

minus driver (mainusu doraiba) – usual screwdriver (in contrast to a “plus driver”, which is a Phillips screwdriver)

minus image (mainusu imeji) – a bad image

minus ion (mainusu iion) – something good for you in the air, apparently

miss contest (misu contesto) – beauty pageant (not competing to make the most mistakes!)

missa (misa, from Latin) – (Catholic) mass

mobo (mooboo- short for modern boy) – male flapper, so obviously specific to the 1930s and so some people don’t know this expression

model change (moderu cheinji) – an updated model, e.g. the new Corolla

modern girl (mooga) – female flappers (1930s youth trend)

money buil (mane biru, from “building money”) – making money

mood (muudo) – ambience/ atmosphere

morning (mooningu) – morning coat

morning service (moonin saabisu) – breakfast special, e.g. pastry and coffee cheaper than at lunchtime

morumotto (from Dutch) – Guinea pig

mother con (mazaa kon) – short for mother complex

mouton (muuton, from French??) – sheepskin, apparently

multi talent (maruchi tarento) – a multi talented person

multi task (maruchi tasuko) – multi tasking

mushroom (mashuruumu) – champignon (not mushrooms generally, which is “kinoko”)

my boom (mai boomu) – what I’m really into at the moment

my car (mai kaa) – the family car, i.e. the opposite of a company car

my home (mai hoomu) – my own home, usually meaning buying rather than renting

my pace (mai peisu) – at my own pace, usually meaning being able to take your own time, i.e. slow!

maid café

naïve (naiibu) – sensitive

name value (neimu balyu) – how much a well-known brand name is worth

native (neitibu) – native speaker

native level (neitibu reburu) – native speaker level/ near native

neck (nekku) – bottleneck, apparently

neck tie (nekku tai) – tie

nega – short for (photographic) negative

net (netto) – tennis and internet, not general meaning such as fishing

new half (nyuu harufu) – transsexual, or sometimes transvestite

news value (nyusu baryu) – newsworthy

NG (en jii- short for “no good”) – opposite of OK

nighter (naitaa) – a night baseball game

nine one one – 9/11

no count (noo kaunto) – something that doesn’t count, e.g. a goal which is disallowed

no cut (noo katto) – uncut/ uncensored (movie)

no make (no meiku) – not wearing make up

no pan (short for “no pants”) – going commando

no touch (no tacchi) – non contact, e.g. sport??

non poli (non pori) – non political, apparently

non pro (non puro) – amateur

note (nooto) – notebook

OB (oo bii, short for old boy) – fellow alumni/ old school tie

off reco (ofu reko) – short for off the record

office buil (ofisu biru) – office building, often shortened to ‘biru’, as this only refers to office buildings in Japanese (the Japanese word tatemono being more general)

OL (oo eru, short for “office lady”) – a rather sexist female equivalent of ‘salaryman’

old fashion (orudo fasshon) – old fashioned

Olympic (orimpiku) – Olympics

On the rock (on za rokku) – on the rocks

one cushion (wan kusshon) – ?????

one man bus (wan man basu) – a bus that doesn’t need a conductor as the driver collects the fares as you enter (obviously not common in conversation now all buses are this way, but sometimes still written)

one man company (wan man campanii) – one in which an imperious boss makes all the decisions

one man president (wan man president) – a boss who makes all the decisions themselves

one pattern (wan pattan) – repetitive

one piece (wan piisu) – a dress (as against the two pieces of a skirt suit etc)

one room mansion (wan ruumu manshon) – studio apartment (manshon being an apartment building)

open car (oopun kaa) – convertible

order made (ooda meido) – custom made/ made to order

orgel (orugiooru, from Dutch) – wind up music box (obviously a minority interest and so not a common word!)

oven range (obun renji) – a combined microwave and oven

over (ooba) – overcoat

overhaul (ooba hooru) – a medical check up, as well as the meaning of major car repairs etc

Click on the Janglish category below for much more.