Complete A to Z of Janglish (Japanese English)

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The TEFLtastic Janglish-English Dictionary Updated November 2026

Janglish, more often called Japlish, Japanese English or Wasei Eigo, is used here to mean English words and expressions that are used in Japanese in different ways to British and American English. This is something that has a big impact on how the Japanese communicate in English and on the difficulty of communicating in Japanese. It is of course impossible to have a complete dictionary, if only because new examples are being created all the time, but this list is pretty much complete in the sense of not excluding as it includes:

– Japanese words and expressions made from English words and affixes

– Words and expressions that have different, more restricted or more wide-ranging meanings in Japanese

– Japanese abbreviations of English words and expressions

– Some slang, old-fashioned, jargon and written forms that might not be recognised by the majority of Japanese

– Irregular pronunciation changes

– Words from other languages that Japanese sometimes assume to be English

– Some rude words

The biggest group that has been excluded is words and expressions that have different pronunciation in Japanese than in English in predictable ways, as the 5000 or so words that would include would overwhelm the more interesting and/ or troublesome examples given here without adding much to the guide to typical pronunciation changes I wrote here. As it is there are over 1100 examples here, making it much more comprehensive than many of the English-language guides to this point that you can pay good money for. I’ll also be posting some more limited selections later for those with less interest in this topic than me. I’m also going to be writing about similarities to other languages, so if you know any of the below are used elsewhere I’d love to know.

Entries are arranged alphabetically by the English (or other language) word(s) that the Japanese is derived from, followed by a pronunciation guide in brackets. The pronunciation is based on the way it is written in katakana, so doubled vowel sounds are longer versions of the short sounds and not always similar to typical English spelling. For example, “ee” is a long “e” sound that is similar to the “ay” in “pay” rather than the “ee” in “deep”, which is “ii” in this dictionary.

1233 Janglish expressions A to Z Updated 2 October 2026

A class (ei kurasu) – top class/ first rate
abilympic (abirimpikku, from ability Olympic) – Paralympics
accel (akkuseru) – short for (car) accelerator, and used in place of the longer form
accent (akusento) – word and sentence stress (not the way you speak that shows where you come from)
accessory (akusesorii) – includes jewellery
acryl (akuriru, short for acrylic) – any kind of hard plastic, in contrast with vinyl (biniiru), which is any kind of flexible plastic
adapter (adaputaa) – power supply/ transformer, e.g. of a laptop
aerobic (earoobikku) – aerobics (not used as an adjective)
aerobike (earo baiku, presumably from aerobic + bike) – exercise bike
aerosol (easooru) – note the silent r
af reco (afu reko, short for after recording) – dubbing sounds onto a film, as “dubbing” in Japanese just means recording more generally, e.g. tape to tape recording
after care (aafuta kea) – product maintenance/ after sales service
after service (afutaa saabisu) – after sales service
agi (aji, short for agitation) – provocative
agi bill (aji bira, from agitation bill) – political flyers and poster
agit (ajito, short for agitating point) – hiding place/ meeting place (e.g. a café) for revolutionaries
air con (ea kon, short for air conditioner) – a machine that both cools and heats air, as one that just cools is a “kuura” (cooler)
air pocket (ea poketto) – air pocket/ blind spot
alcohol (arukooru) – note no h sound, probably due to coming to Japanese through another European language
alkali (arukari) – note short last vowel sound
all back (ooru bakku) – swept back hair
all ri (ooru rai, short for “all right”) – (only) used when backing up a car or truck
Allergie (arerugii, from German) – allergy. Note the hard g sound
almighty (oorumaitii) – supreme/ dominating (and so used more than the English word, e.g. in sports)
alumi (arumi) – short for aluminium
alumi foil (arumi hoiru) – short for aluminium foil/ silver foil, e.g. in kitchen
ama – short for amateur
Ame foot (ame fuuto) – short for American football
American/ American coffee (amerikan kohii) – Americano, i.e. a weak coffee
ampere (ampea) – the only way of saying amps (electrical measurement). Amp (ampu) only means amplifier
anchor (anka) – news anchor, but not a boat anchor
anime (anime) – any kind of animation, not just Japanese
antenna shop (antenna shoppu) – a shop selling regional specialities in a big city, e.g. Akita food and drink in Tokyo
apart (apaato, short for apartment) – wooden two-storey block of flats, as opposed to a taller concrete “mansion”
appli (apuri) – short for (tablet or smartphone) application, and more common than the longer form. “App” is not used.
appo (apo) – short for appointment
appoint (apointo) – short for appointment
April Fool (eepuriru fuuru) – April Fool’s Day, not the person who is fooled on that day
Arbeit (aabaito, from the German word for work) – temporary work/ casual work
Argentine (aruzenchin) – Argentina
arm curl (aamu kaaru) – (biceps) curls
aro fo – short for (the age) “around forty”
Asia (ajia) – note the short first vowel sound, and not the soft French j sound in television
at home (atto hoomu) – cosy/ relaxed atmosphere. Similar to the expression “make yourself at home”, but used as an adjective
attack (atakku) – take on a challenge/ go for it/ aiming for a difficult goal
auto bi (ooto bai- from “automatic” and “bike”) – motorbike
auto parlour (ooto paaraa) – automat
auto race (ooto reesu) – motor racing
autolock (ootorokku) – self-locking (door etc)
automa (ootoma) – short for automatic (for cars)/ automation
AV (ei bii) – short for both audio visual and adult video (as in AV model), so easily confused!
AV model (ei bii moderu, short for adult video model) – porn actress
avant guerre (aban gea, from French) – before the war
avec (abekku, from the French for “with”) – a couple, i.e. boyfriend and girlfriend.
B1/ B2 (bii wan, bii tsu) etc – basement floors. Mainly a written abbreviation, e.g. on staircases and in elevators, but can be used to give directions orally. The full English word “basement” is not used.
ba u (bea, short for base up) – pay raise
baby bed (beibi beddo) – baby’s cot/ crib
baby car (beibi kaa) – pushchair/ buggy
baby circle (bebii saakuru) – playpen
babysitter (beibishitta) – can mean nanny, au pair or actual babysitter, but most commonly nanny
back (bakku) – a defender (in football)/ reverse (for a car)/ doggy style
back home (bakku hoomu) – baseball command meaning “Throw the ball to the plate”
back mirror (bakku miraa) – (car) rear view mirror
back net (bakku netto) – backstop (in baseball)
bacon (beikon) – Japanese bacon is always sold ready cooked, making it a bit like ham
bag (baggu) – usually a handbag, shoulder bag or similar, not plastic or paper bags
Bahama – Bahamas
ball pen (booru pen) – ballpoint pen/ biro
band man (bando man) – band member
band master (bando masutaa) – bandleader
bar code (baa koodo) – comb over (haircut)
bare shoulder dress (bea shorudaa doresu) – off the shoulder dress
bargain/ bargain sale (baagen seiru) – sales, e.g. summer sales, not just something that is good value or to haggle
barracks (barakku) – decrepit buildings
Barriquand (barikan, from an old trade name) – hair clippers
barten (baaten) – short for bartender
base up (beisu appu) – all round pay raises (see also the short form ba u)
basket (basuketto) – basketball
bass (basu) – pronounced the same as “bus” and “bath”
baton girl (baton gaaru) – majorette
baton touch (baton tacchi) – to pass the torch
batter box (battaa bokkusu) – batter’s box (in baseball)
bed cover (beddo kabaa) – bedspread
bed in (beddo in) – go to bed together
bed town (beddo taun) – commuter town/ dormitory town
beit (baito, short for the German word for work, Arbeit) – a temporary or casual job
Belgie (berugi, from French) – note the hard g
belt conveyor (beruto conebeiyo) – conveyor belt
best dresser (besuto doresaa) – best dressed woman or man
best ten (besuto ten) – top ten
BGM (bii jii emu) – background music (an authentic genre that people choose as their favourite!)
BGV (bii jii bui) – background video, meaning relaxing videos without any narrative, usually accompanied by BGM (see above)
bian – short for lesbian
bike (baiku) – usually only used for motorbikes, although “mountain bike” is a kind of bicycle as in English
bill (bira) – flyers/ leaflets, not banknotes, check, etc. Note the final vowel sound, making it different from the short form of building (biru)
billiard (biriyaado) – billiards, snooker or (most commonly) pool
blank (buranku) – blank/ absence
blazer coat (bureiza kooto) – blazer
blik (buriki, from Dutch) – tin plate
blind (buraindo) – shutters
blow (buroo) – blow dry, so no connection to sex or drugs
body buil (bodii biru) – short for body building
body check (bodii chekku) – frisk/ body search (so nothing to do with contact sports)
body con (bodii kon, short for “body consciousness”) – ultratight clothes warn in the late 80s and early 90s (also used in English, but probably more common in Japanese)
body shampoo (bodii shampuu) – shower gel
bond (bondo) – very strong adhesive
bottle keep (botturu kiipu) – a system where you buy a whole bottle and can continue drinking it next time you come to the same bar or izakaya
bottom (botomu) – your bottom half, rather than just your rear end
bound (baundo) – bounce of a ball
boy (booi) – bell boy/ porter
boyfriend (booifurendo) – both male friend and boyfriend
Bra Pi (bura pi) – short for Brad Pitt, and much more common than the use of his full name
brassie (buraja, short for brassiere) – bra
brea st (bure suto) – short for breaststroke
brief (buriifu) – briefs (underpants) and kind of document. Note the lack of an s
broken (burookun) – only has the language meaning, as in “broken English” and doesn’t need to go directly before the noun as it does in English so sentences like “my English is broken” are quite common
broker (burookaa) – stockbroker
bromide (bromaido) – single photo (e.g. of a movie star)
BS (bii esu, from broadcast satellite) – satellite television, so not necessarily b.s. with the English meaning!
bubble (baburu) – only economic meaning. Soap bubbles are “shabon”, from Portuguese
bubbler (baburaa) – hubble bubble/ bong
buil (biru, short for building) – office building (not buildings more generally, which is “tatemono”)
bundle (bandoru) – only computer meaning of putting different kinds of software together
bungalow (bangaroo) – cabin, so usually something quite basic and not particularly associated with number of floors
bus jack (basu jakku) – hijacking of a bus
bust (basuto) – measurement, not that part of the body
byplayer (bai pureya) – supporting actor/ bit part player
caba clu (kyaba kura, short for cabaret club) – a kind of hostess club
cabaret (kabaree) – part of the sex industry
café press (kafee puresu) – cafetiere
cake (keiki) – fancy cake only, as anything pastry-like is “pan” (bread)
called game (koorudo geemu) – a baseball game which is called off but still counts as a game (unlike noo geemu)
cameraman (kameraman) – both cameraman and photographer, so more general in Japanese than in English, and often used when photographer is meant
camp (kyampu) – campsite
camp in (kyampu in) – start training camp
campaign (kanpeen) – sales campaign/ period of particularly pushing products
camping car (kyampingu kaa) – camper van
canaria – canary, from the name of the islands in Spanish
cancel (kyanseru) – cancel/ cancellation
canvas (kanbusu) – paintings only, not the material more generally
capa (from Portuguese) – rainproof coat
car navi (kaa nabi) – satellite navigation
career up (kyaria appu) – improve your career
case by case (keisu bai keisu) – on a case by case basis/ it depends/ decide as we go along. More common in Japanese than in English.
casher (kyasshaa) – cashier
cashing (kashingu) – withdrawing cash using your credit card, often done in dodgy back offices for a commission as a way of paying off one credit card with another (as you have to pay credit cards off in full every month in Japan hence, you would think, nullifying their name!)
castella (kasutera, from Spanish) – type of sponge cake
catch ball (katchi booru) – playing catch
catch copy (kyatchi kopi) – copy (as in what a copywriter writes)
catch phone (katchi foon) – call waiting
catchphrase (katchifureezu) – catchphrase/ slogan/ motto (so more meanings than in English)
centi (senchi) – short for centimeters. Same pronunciation as the Japanese short form of sentimental
cereal (shiiriau) – only breakfast cereals, not as a category of food/ plants
chack (chakku) – zip
chalk (chako or chooku) – the first pronunciation (chako) only refers to chalk used to mark places in sewing, whereas chooku is used for blackboard chalk. The latter has the same pronunciation as “(car) choke”
challenge (charenji suru) – undertake something difficult/ do your best, so in Japanese you challenge something rather than someone. Similar to the English noun “challenge”, but very different to the English verb
change (chenji) – note the short first vowel sound
change court (chenji kooto) – change ends (in tennis, etc)
change lever (chenji rebaa) – gearstick. Note the pronunciation of lever
charging (chaajingu) – charging into someone/ banging into someone in sports
charm point (chaamu pointo) – attractive qualities
charming (chaamingu) – (physically) attractive (so nothing to do with personality)
check point (chekku pointo) – something that needs checking, i.e. thing on a checklist, so not a place where people are stopped before they can continue down a street
checker flag (chekkaa furaggu) – checkered flag
cheek (chiiku) – cheek or blusher rouge
cheek dance (chiiku dansu) – dancing cheek to cheek
cheer girl (chia gaaru) – cheerleader
cheer horn – plastic megaphone (without electronics) for cheering
chemical shoes (kemikaru shuuzu) – shoes made from plastic
chief (chiifu) – chief/ head/ leader (and therefore used more in Japanese than in English)
China dress (chaina doresu) – cheongsam
Chinese collar (chainiizu karaa) – Mao collar
choco (choko) – short for chocolate, and used much more than the full word
choco bar (choko baa, short for chocolate bar) – Mars Bar, etc
choke (chooku) – car choke. Same pronunciation as the Japanese pronunciation of “chalk”
chorus (koorusu) – choral singing/ a choir
Christian name (kurisuchan neemu) – baptism name (so not given name/ first name)
Christmas (kurisumasu) – Christmas Day (rather than the whole holiday season)
Christo (kirisuto, from Portuguese) – Christ
cider (saidaa) – soda/ lemonade, so no connection to apples and no alcohol, with the alcoholic meaning becoming more famous but still more often given the French name “cidre”
claim (kureimu) – complaint/ demand
claimer (kureimaa) – a demanding customer
classic (kurashikku) – (western) classical music, not classic pop
clay (kurei) – only for clay court tennis, not more generally for the material used to make pottery
cleaning (kuriiningu) – the usual word for dry cleaning and also used for house cleaning services, but not cleaning more generally
clip (kurippu) – paperclip
cloak (kurooku) – cloakroom, not a cape
close (kuroozu) – closed (only really on signs on shop doors, and very rarely in conversation)
close up (kuroozu appu) – close up in movies etc, note the z sound
closed sale (kuroosudu seiru) – closing down sale
club (kurabu) – usually means something like a jazz club or private club with people sitting round tables rather than a kind of disco, although when “clubbing” is used it has the English meaning
club sand (kurabu sando) – short for club sandwich
CM (shii emu, short for commercial message) – a radio ad or TV ad
CM song (shii emu songu, short for commercial message song) – radio jingle
coat (kooto) – same pronunciation as the Japanese pronunciation of “court”
cocaine (kokain) – note the ai sound instead of ei, like the spelling and like many other languages
cock (kokku or kokku-san) – a cook, note the short first vowel
cock (kokku) – tap for water or gas
cocoa (kokoa) – as in many languages and increasingly in English, pronounced like the English spelling, not like “koko”
cocotte (kokotto) – soufflé dish (not a casserole dish)
coffee milk (kohii miruku) – milk with coffee flavour, like a milkshake, and so different from “milk coffee” (white coffee)
coin laundry (koin randorii) – laundrette
collar shirt (karaa shatsu) – shirt with a collar
collectioner (korekushonaa) – collector
colour (karaa) – colour/ character
compa (konpa – short for company) – student social gathering
companion (konpanyon) – attractive female guide at a large exhibition
compass (konpasu) – drawing compass only, not the one for navigation. Apparently also used to mean pacing legs.
compe (konpe) – short for competition, and much more common than the full word
compo (konpo) – short for component
concours (konkooru- from French) – competition
condense milk (kondensu miruku) – condensed milk
condenser (kondensaa) – capacitor (so nothing to do with condensation, unlike the English meaning)
cone (koon) – ice cream cone etc, with same pronunciation as the Japanese pronunciation of “corn”
conne (kone, short for connections) – old school tie etc connections/ being well connected
consent (konsento, maybe from concentric) – electric socket, never used with the meaning of giving consent
conserva (konsaaba) – short for conservative, meaning disliking change
container (kontaina) – only the shipping meaning, not more general meaning of Tupperware etc
conte (konto, from French) – little story/ skit
conveni (konbini) – short for convenience store, and much more common than the full expression
cool biz (kuuru bizu) – the government-led campaign to have people dress down during the summer at work and so use less air conditioning
cooler (kuura) – an air conditioner that only cools the air and doesn’t heat
co-op (koupo) – often part of the name of medium-level accommodation somewhere between cheap wooden two-storey “apart” (apaato) and more luxurious concrete, usually high-rise “mansion” (manshon), something like “heights” (haitsu)
corn (koon) – same pronunciation as the Japanese pronunciation of “cone”
corner (koona) – section of shop or magazine, as in “cash corner” (place with ATMs). More a written form, and rarely used in conversation.
correpon – short for correspondence (meaning letters)
cosme (kosume) – short for cosmetics, and used much more than the full word
cosplay (kosupurei, short for “costume play”) – unlike the English borrowing of this expression, used for all dressing up (including kids), not just for anime characters
country (kantori) – country club
course (koosu) – as well as the study meaning, often used for walking trails
court (kooto) – same pronunciation as the Japanese pronunciation of “coat”
cracker (kurakkaa) – (cream) crackers and party poppers (Xmas crackers are basically unknown in Japan)
crank in (kuranku in suru) – starting to shoot a film
crank up (kuranku appu) – wrap up shooting a film, so the opposite of “crank in”
crawl (kurooru) – swimming only, not the way babies walk
cream soda (kuriimu soda) – ice cream float/ soda float/ coke float
credit title (kurejitto taitoru) – the (movie) credits
Croatia (kuroachia) – note ch sound
croissant (kurowasan) – note the final vowel sound
croquis (kuroki, from French) – sketch
cuffs button (kafusu botan) – cufflink
culture centre (karucha sentaa) – cultural centre, e.g. local place for adult education
cunni (kunni) – short for cunnilingus
cunning (kanningu) – cheating in an exam, so not a personality word
cup (koppu) – certain kinds of glass, not a tea cup, which is “kappu”
cup ramen (kappu raamen) – pot noodle
curl iron (kaaru airon) – curling tongs
curler (kaaraa) – curling tongs
curry rice (karee raisu) – Japanese-style curry (with Indian style curry sometimes given the different pronunciation “kari”)
curry roux (karee ruu) – curry powder with flour, so just add water to make a curry sauce
cutter (kattaa) – a knife for cutting paper/ Stanley knife
Cyprus (kipurosu) – note hard k sound
Czech (cheko) – Czechia/ the Czech Republic
day service (dee saabisu) – day care centre for old people
dead ball (deddo booru) – hit by a pitched baseball
dead heat (deddo hiito) – dead heat/ close game (so not just races)
deck (dekki) – plimsolls
decoration cake (dekoreishon keiki) – a fancy cake
deep kiss (diipu kisu) – French kiss
defla (defure) – short for deflation, and always used in place of the longer expression
delivery health (deriburi herusu, often shortened to deri heri) – sex worker coming to your house or hotel room
dema (short for the German word demagogie) – false rumour (not just used to talk about politicians)
demerit (demeritto) – the standard way of saying “disadvantage”, so more common than in English
demo (short for demonstration) – only means protests, not showing how to do something
denomi ( short for denomination) – currency devaluation
depart (depaato) – short for department store, and the full expression is never used. Not used for departments of a company.
design hotel (desain hoteru) – a slightly better love hotel, so very different from the boutique hotel that this expression might make you think of
desk plan (desuku puran) – desktop planner
dessin (desan, from the French for drawing) – rough sketch
Deutsch (doitsu, from German) – both Germany and German
dia (daiya) – short for diamond, and used much more than the full word
dia (daiya, short for diagram) – railroad timetable
diary (daiarii) – only one that you write your thoughts about what has already happened (one you write your arrangements in is “techo”)
diet (daietto) – only for dieting, not more generally for what you eat and drink
digest (daijesto) – only meaning summarising, so not verb of digestion
dining kitchen (dainingu kitchin) – a combined kitchen and dining room (usually a sign of a small flat rather than of modern open plan design)
director (direkutaa) – only film director, not company executive
DK (dii kei, short for dining kitchen) – a combined kitchen and dining room
DM (dii emu, short for direct mail) – junk mail, so not “direct message”, though people who use Western social media with that function will know that meaning
dock (dokku) –medical check up (from docking a ship), usually as part of the expression “ningen dokku” (human dock)
doctor car (dokutaa kaa) – a kind of ambulance
doctor stop (dokutaa sutoppu) – a doctor banning you from doing something like smoking and drinking, apparently from a doctor stopping a boxing match
document (dokyumento) – documentary
document file (dokyumento fairu) – concertina file
doek (zukku, from Dutch) – clogs
dollar shock (doru shokku) – the time when the yen was suddenly revalued against the dollar, being the second big shock to the economy after the oil shock and ultimately leading to the Japanese spending spree in America during the bubble years
don mi (don mai, from don’t mind) – in sports, a way of encouraging someone who failed at their first attempt
donor (donaa) – note the short first vowel sound
door boy (doa booi) – doorman
door eye (doa ai) – peephole in a door (apparently –no one I know seems to have even heard of this one)
door mirror (doa miraa) – wing mirror (on a car)
door stopper (doa sutoppa) – door stop
double jacket (daburu jaketto) – double-breasted jacket
doz (dasu) – dozen
DPE (dii pii ii or jii pii ii) – developing, printing and enlarging, meaning the services that a print shop offers
drama (dorama) – television or radio play, often something like a soap opera but usually not lasting years like soap operas do in many other countries
dressing (doresingu) – only salad dressing, not getting dressed or bandage
drip (dorippu) – only means drip coffee, not leaks etc
drive map (doraibu mappu) – road map
drive recorder (doraibu recoodaa) – dashcam
driver (doraiba) – screwdriver (sukuruudoraiba is only a cocktail, not a tool)
driveway (doraibuuei) – highway/ speedway, so not leading from the street to a house
drop handle (doroppu handoru) – drop handlebars, as on a racing bike
dry curry (dorai karee) – a bit like a spicy risotto
dry flower (dorai furawaa) – dried flowers
dry fruit (dorai fruutsu) – dried fruit
dryer (doraiyaa) – hair dryer
dubbing (dobingu) – recording, e.g. sticking all your old videos on DVDs (so nothing to do with foreign language videos)
dump car (dampu kaa) – dump truck
dunk shoot (danku shuuto) – a dunk/ dunk shot
dust box (dasuto bokkusu) – trash can/ bin
DV (dii bii) – short for domestic violence
easy open (iiji opun) – easy to open
easy order (iiji oodoru) – semi-tailored suit
echo (eko) – the acoustics of a space
eco (eko, from ecological) – green/ environmentally friendly. Same pronunciation as “echo”
effecter (efekutaa) – effects pedal
Ege (ege) – Aegean (Sea), note the hard g
Ego (ego, from German) – selfishness. Note the first vowel sound.
Eisbahn (aisu baan, from German) – icy road
eisen (aizen, from German Steigeisen) – crampon
Eishaken (aisuhaaken, from German) – ice piton
elec tone (ereku toon, short for electric tone, from a brand name) – electric organ
elegy (eregii) – ballad/ elegy, note the hard g
embrasser (anburasse, from French) – hug and/ or kiss
en sto (en suto, short for engine stop) – stalling a car
enamel (enameru) – patent leather or nail varnish
enamel shoes (enameru no kutsu) – patent leather shoes
encore (ankooru, from French) – note the first sound
Enerugii (from German) – energy
Enerugisch (enerugishu- from German) – energetic
engage ring (engaji ringu) – short for engagement ring, and much more used that the longer version or the Japanese equivalent
engine key (enjin kii) – ignition key
England/ English (igirisu) – both English and British
ennui (annyui, from French) – note the first sound
enquete (anketto, from the French for questionnaire) – (market research) survey
ensemble (ansanburu, from French) – note the first sound
entrée (antoree) – note the first sound
episode (episoodo) – unknown and interesting past event
era (aera or ira) – note the first vowel sound
ero (ero) – short for erotic, note the first vowel sound
escape (esukeepu) – slipping out of a wrestler’s grip or slipping out of class or work (i.e. skiving/ skipping class)
este (esute- short for the French word « esthetique ») – plastic surgery/ beauty parlour
European plan (yooroppian puran) – room only, meals not included
eva milk (eba miruku) – short for evaporated milk, though its pronunciation also usefully suggests “ever” as in “lasts forever”
even (iibun) – even/ tie/ draw (i.e. also used for the final score)
evening (ibuningu) – evening dress
ex (ekisu, short for extract) – extract/ essence, usually used in cooking
excellent company (ekiserento kampanii) – blue chip company
extra (ekisutora) – spare (tyre etc)
eye line (ai rain) – eye liner
eye mate (ai meeto) – yellow stripe on pavement to help guide the blind/ guide dog for the blind
eyebrow (aiburoo) – note the final O sound, rather than ow
face (feisu) – head of a racket
fagotto (from Italian) – bassoon
fami com (fami kon, short for family computer) – video game system (out of date expression)
fami res (fami resu) – short for family restaurant
family service (famirii saabisu) – special offer if there are enough people
fashion health (fasshon herusu) – something to do with the sex trade
fastener (fasunaa) – fastener/ zip
father (fazaa) – priest only, not used to mean daddy
feet (fiito) – also used for the singular of the measurement (“one feet”), and not used for parts of your body
fella (fera, short for fellatio) – a standard way of saying blow job
feminist (feminisuto) – a gentleman (a feminist is “woman libber”)
feti (fetchi) – short for fetishist
fighting (faitingu) – a cheer meaning something like “Come on!”
figure (figyua) – action figures, so not number or shape of your body
figure skate (figaa sukeito) – figure skating (this dropping of –ing is quite common)
filet (hire) – note h sound and silent t
film (firumu) – film for a camera, not used to mean a movie
finder (faindaa) – viewfinder (on a camera)
fireman (faiaman) – relief pitcher (in baseball), not a literal firefighter
flooring (furooringu) – wooden flooring (not tatami, etc)
fluke (furokku) – note the pronunciation, which is the same as flock and frock
flying start (furaingu sutaato) – false start, so a negative thing
Fohn (foon, from German) – hot, dry wind blown down from a mountain
follow wind (foroo uindo) – following wind, i.e. having the wind behind you, often used as a metaphor
food fighter (fuudo faitaa) – competitive eater
fool (furu) – April fool, not idiot more generally
footlight (futtoraito) – footlights or in the limelight
for here (foo hia) – the opposite of “take out”, mainly used for communication between café staff
form (hoomu) – short for “platform”, but note that it sounds more like “home”
foundation (faundeishon) – make up only, not the first stage of a new building
four ball (foa booru) – a kind of billiards
Frankfurt sausage (furankufuruto sooseeji) – frankfurter
free (furii) – short for freelance, but often meaning more like casual work and so much less positive than the English expression
free address (furii adoresu) – hot desking
free dial (furii daiyaru) – toll free number/ freephone
free pass (furii pasu) – all-day ticket (to a theme park, meaning you can go on all rides)
free size (furii saizu) – one size fits all
free soft (furii sofuto) – freeware
free talking (furii tookingu) – an open discussion/ a meeting with no agenda
freeter (furiitaa, from free + arbeiter) – a slacker/ someone with a McJob
freewriter (furiiraitaa) – freelance writer
freshman (furesshuman) – most often means “new (graduate) employee”, though occasionally used with the first year student meaning
fried potato (furaido poteto) – chips/ French fries
front (furonto) – hotel reception/ front desk
front glass (furonto garasu) – windshield/ windscreen
fruit parlour (furutsu paala) – upmarket coffee bar that sells lots of deserts (usually ice cream more than fruit) and is almost exclusively used by women who lunch (quite rare/ old-fashioned expression)
fruit punch (furuutsu ponchi) – a dessert similar to a fruit cocktail, so not a drink (which is panchi)
full band (furu bando) – big band
full base (furu beisu) – with the bases loaded (in baseball)
full course (fuuru koosu) – three course (or more) meal
full set (furu setto) – in tennis etc, going down to the final set
G jan (jii jan, short for jeans jacket) – denim jacket
G pan (jii pan, short for jean pants) – jeans
g sp (jii supo) – short for G spot
ga cen (gee sen, short for game centre) – amusement arcade/ video arcade
gag (gyagu) – joke, usually a pun, as in “oyaji gyaggu” (a Dad joke)
gal (gyaru) – a particular fashion style involving tans and very heavy eye make up
galle (gyara, short for gallery) – art gallery or spectators
game centre (geimu sentaa) – amusement arcade/ video arcade
game soft (geimu sofuto) – computer games
gang (gyangu) – both a whole gang and an individual gangster
gas bombe (gasu bomube, from German) – gas cylinder
gasoline stand (gasorin sutando) – petrol station/ gas station
gate ball (geeto booru) – a kind of croquet
Gaze (gaaze, from German) – gauze/ cotton wool pads. Note final e sound.
gender free (jendaa furii) – unisex
Genom (genomu, from German) – genome. Note the hard g sound
Gerende (gerende, from German) – ski slopes
gesture game (jesuchaa geimu) – charades
gift card (gifuto kaado) – gift certificate, e.g. book token
gin tonic (jin tonikku) – note the missing “and”, as also in German, Korean, Spanish etc, and that the term “G&T” is unknown
gird (gaado) – girder bridge
girl hunt (gaaru hanto) – when men go out to pick up women
glamour (gurama) – attractively buxom woman, so a more sexual term than in English
glove box (guroobu bokkusu) – glove compartment
go sign (goo sain) – (metaphorical) green light
go stop (go sutoppu) – outdated expression for traffic lights
goal (gooru) – goal/ finishing line (in track sports)
goal in (gooru in suru) – (finally) achieving something, most often used for getting married
goal net (gooru netto) – net (in basketball)
goal ring (gooru ringu) – hoop (in basketball)
goggle (goguru) – goggles, note the missing -s
golden hour (goruden awaa) – (TV) prime time
golden week (goruden wiiku) – a week in late April and early May when there are lots of public holidays in a row
gom (gomu, from Dutch) – rubber and rubber band
gom boat (gomu booto, from the Dutch for rubber) – inflatable dinghy
gondola (gondora) – window cleaning cradle
goo (guu) – short for good
good sense (guudo sensu) – good taste
gorgeous (goojasu) – gorgeous or, usually, luxurious. Not used for people.
goth loli (gosu loli) – gothic Lolita, a Japanese fashion
gothic Lolita (goshikku rorita) – a style that combines Victorian frills with Gothic dark colours
gown (gaun) – dressing gown, not a fancy party dress
grade up (gureido appu suru) – upgrade
gravure (gurabia, short for photogravure) – girls in bikinis (A/V being girls without bikinis)
green car (guriin kaa) – first class carriage
gro (guro) – short for grotesque
ground (guraundo) – playground (school or park), not the grounds of a building more generally
ground hostess (guraundo hosutesu) – female airport staff
group sounds (guruupu saunzu) – Beatles-style 1960s guitar groups
guara (gyara- short for “guarantee”) – performance fee
guard man (gaado man) – security guard
Guinness Book (ginisu bukku) – Guinness Book of Records
guts pose (gatsu poosu) – putting up one fist to celebrate a good shot etc
gym (jim) – doesn’t include a school gymnasium and still more common for boxing gyms than for sports clubs
gyps (gipsu, from German) – a plaster cast, and the material used to make it
H (etchi, from the first letter of “hentai”) – perverted/ sexual
hair colour (hea karaa) – hair dye, so not used to talk about natural colour
hair mode (hea moodo from hair plus the French for fashion) – a trendy hairstyle
hair pin (hea pin) – hair clip
hair wig (hea uiggu) – wig
half (haafu) – mixed Japanese/ non-Japanese parentage (standard word that is not generally considered insulting)
half coat (haafu kooto) – short coat
ham egg (hamu eggu) – ham and eggs
hamburger steak (hambaagu suteeki) – a hamburger patty
handi – short for (golf) handicap
handkerchi (hankachi) – from a shortening of the word “handkerchief”, but used more for a tiny towel for wiping your hands and sweaty face when you are out and about
handle (handoru) – steering wheel or handlebars of bike (perhaps from a time when it was a handle rather than a wheel), not door handle etc.
handle name (handoru neemu) – handle, as in CB slang
handmade (handomeido) – homemade (e.g. jam)
happening (hapuningu) – unexpected incident, so not an artistic event
happy end (happii endo) – happy ending
hard (haado) – hardware (not hard-core, and very rarely meaning difficult)
hash rice (hayashi raisu) – hashed rice/ hash with rice, like a non-spicy curry rice
heading (heddingu) – a header (in football), and not a kind of section title
heading shoot (hedin shuuto) – a header towards goal
headphone (heddofon) – headphones, not including in-ear earphones, note the missing -s
healing (hiiringu) – relaxing/ therapeutic (music etc)
health centre (herusu sentaa) – recreation centre, so not a clinic
health meter (herusu miita) – bathroom scales (the Japanese “taijukei” is almost exclusively used in conversation, but you will see this written sometimes)
hearing test (hiaringu testo) – listening comprehension test, not a medical test on your ears
heights (haitsu) – often part of the name of medium-level accommodation somewhere between cheap wooden two-storey “apart” (apaato) and more luxurious concrete, usually high-rise “mansion” (manshon), something like a “co-op” (koopo)
heli (heri) – short for helicopter, so something like the English expression “chopper”
Hello Work (hero waaku) – the official and regularly used name for government job centres
helmet (herumetto) – helmet/ hard hat (on a building site)/ riding hat
high collar (hai kara) – stylish/ snobbish (outdated slang)
high grade (hai gureido) – high quality anything (not just uranium)
high heel (hai hiiru) – high heels/ high heeled shoes, note the missing -s
high miss (hai misu) – spinster (outdated expression)
high sense (hai sensu) – stylish good taste
high teen (hai tiin) – late teens
high tension (hai tenshon) – excitable/ overexcited/ carried away
high vision (hai bijon) – HDTV
hip (hippu) – the most common euphemism for buttocks, and not meaning the bit round the side and its accompanying bones as in English
hire (haiya) – limousine with a driver (although often only the same size as a taxi, and even an actual taxi being used a different way)
hockey (hokkee) – note the long e for the last vowel sound. As in English, often not clear if ice hockey or field hockey is meant.
hole out (hooru auto) – something to do with golf
home drama (hoomu dorama) – soap opera (but probably not as long running as in most countries, and rarely on more than once a week)
home in (hoomu in) – reaching home base
homeless (hoomuresu) – homeless person
homewear (hoomuwea) – tracksuits etc for relaxing around the house
homo – homosexual (not disparaging, apparently)
honeycomb (haniikam) – note the last vowel sound
hooray (furee) – note the f sound
hormon (horumon, from German) – tripe
hostess (hoosutesu) – only someone who works in a hostess bar, not someone who invites you to something
hot tea (hotto tii) – the opposite of iced tea, used even when the temperature is fairly obvious
hotcake (hotto keiki) – pancake
Hotchkiss (hotchikisu) – stapler (from a former brand name)
humorous (uumarosu) – note no h sound
humour (uumaa) – note no h sound
hun st (han suto) – short for hunger strike
hus (hazu, short for husband) – outdated slang
hussle (hassuru) – complete determination
hut (hyutte) – simple accommodation for mountain climbers
Hysterie (hisuteri, from the German for hysteria) – having a bad temper/ being quick-tempered, and with no former or present sexist connotations as far as I can tell
ice box (aisu bokkusu) – cool box, so not a fridge
ice candy (aisu kandee) – ice lolly/ ice pop/ Popsicle
ice coffee (aisu kohii) – iced coffee
ice fall (aisu fooru) – a frozen waterfall
ice skate (aisu sukeeto) – ice skate(s)/ ice skating
ice tea (aisu tii) – iced tea
idee (idee) – idea, from French
Ideologie (ideorogii, from German) – ideology. Note the hard g sound
idle cost (aidoru kosuto) – the cost of downtime
idling stop (aiduringu sutoppu) – leaving your engine on while parked, often seen on signs telling you not to do this common action
idol (aidoru) – a kind of pop singer, like the solo version of a boy group or girl group
illustr (irasutro) – illustrated (map etc), usually used as a noun
image up (imejii appu) – improving your image
impo (inpo) – slang for impotent
in fight (in faito) – get in close in boxing, the opposite of autobokushingu
Indian (indiyan) – still used to refer to American Indian/ Native American and exclusively so, as an Indian from India has the different expression “indojin”
indies (indiizu) – music not connected to major labels, and so not necessarily very alternative in genre
infla (infure) – short for inflation, and almost always used in place of the longer word. Note the final e to distinguish it from “infra”
infra (infura) – infrastructure
initial (inisharu) – used for “your initials”, but not with the more general meaning of “first”
ink (inku) – only fountain pen ink
inside report (insaido repooto) – exposé
intelli (interi) – intellectual (noun referring to person)
interior (interia) – note the short e sound in the middle
interphone (intaahon) – intercom
ion (ion) – note the short first vowel sound
iron (aian) – (golf) iron, and so different pronunciation to “airon” (iron for ironing)
iron (airon) – used to refer to the thing used for ironing and the action, not to the metal and with a different pronunciation to the golf club (aian)
Italia (itaria, from Italian) – Italy
Ivy college (aibii kareji) – Ivy League College
ivy look (aibii rukku, from Ivy League look) – preppy fashion
J pop (jei poppu) – Japanese pop music (this is now probably standard English among people who know it exists)
jacke (yakke from German for jacket) – anorak, note the first sound
jacque (chokki, from Dutch) – a kind of waistcoat with pockets, popular with fishermen
jar (jya) – one way of talking about an electric rice cooker, so not for jam etc, as there is no clear distinction between glass bottles and glass jars in Japanese
jeans (jiinzu) – denim (as well as jeans, although they are often known as “G-pan”, from “jeans pants”)
jet coaster (jetto koosta) – roller coaster
jinx (jinkusu) – can also be good luck
jockey (jokki) – a mug of beer
Jordan (yorudan) – note initial y sound
jump (janpu) – jump/ skip levels (e.g. in a language school)
jumper (janpaa) – zip up jacket (not sweater or knitted dress)
jumper skirt (janpaa sukaato) – knitted dress (jumper in American English)
just (jyasuto) – exact/ exactly, not “only”, with predictable confusions when telling the time in English
kanpa (short for Russian kampaniya) – fund raising campaign, e.g. collecting for charity in the street
Karte (kaate, from German) – medical records
katsu – short for cutlet, and now all the way back into the English language as part of the word “tonkatsu”
Kentu (kenta) – slang short form of KFC
Kentucky (kentakki) – KFC
key holder (kii horudaa) – key ring
key word (kii waado) – buzz phrase
keyboard (kii boodo) – used to refer to a computer, not a piano
kilo (kiiro) – short for both kilometre and kilogramme
kiosk (kiyosuku) – kiosk/ station shop (i.e. also something you can walk into)
klaxon (kurakushon) – (car) horn
knife (naifu) – only means dinner knife, not kitchen knife etc
knob (nobu) – any kind of door handle, not just a circular one
konbinat (konbinaato, from Russian) – industrial complex
kraan (karan – from Dutch) – tap
L size (eru saizu) – large (drinks, clothes, etc). Much more common than the longer English and Japanese words in those contexts, and also used conversationally.
lab (rabbu) – photos only, not science, which is “labo”
labo (rabo) – common abbreviation for “laboratory”
lady first (reidii faasuto) – ladies first
latex (ratekkusu) – note the short first vowel sound
laurier (roorie, from French) – bay leaves
lawn court (roon kooto) – grass court
LDK (eru dii kei) – combined living room/ dining room/ kitchen
le guar (le gaasu, short for leg guards) – shin pads
lemon tea (remon tii) – tea with lemon
les (lezu) – short for lesbian, and apparently not insulting
lettuce (retasu) – notice the second vowel sound
lib (ribu) – short for women’s lib
life work (raifu waaku) – life’s work
lift (rifuto) – an elevator for things rather than people, like a service lift
lighter oil (raitaa oiru) – lighter fluid
lighter stone (raitaa sutoon) – (lighter) flint
limousine bus (rimojin basu) – airport shuttle bus
line (rain) – management
line dance (rain dansu) – cancan style dancing
line dancer (rain dansaa) – chorus line girl
lip (rippu) – lip salve (sometimes causing confusion with lipstick, which is “kuchibeni” in Japanese)
liquid (rikiddo) – note the k sound rather than kw
lithium (richiumu) – note the ch sound
litre (rittoru or rittaa) – note the alternative pronunciations
live house (raibu hausu) – a kind of live music venue
liver (lebaa) – only food, not the part of your or an animal’s body. Note the first vowel sound.
living (ribingu) – short for living room
living kitchen (ribingu kitchin) – open plan living room/ kitchen
LL (eru eru) – language laboratory
LL (eru eru) – long life milk
LL (eru eru) – XL
loca (roka) – short for (film) location
log house (rogu hausu) – log cabin
long seller (rongu seraa) – a book which sells for a long time, similar to bestseller
loose (ruuzu) – note the z sound
Los (rosu) – short for Los Angeles, as “LA” is rarely used
loss time (rosu taimu) – added time, injury time
love call (rabu kooru) – screaming at a celebrity you love
love comedy (rabu komedi) – romantic comedy
love love (rabu rabu) – passionately in love/ affectionate in public
low teens (roo tiin) – early teens, i.e. someone under 15
Lumpen (from German lumpen proletariat) – homeless people
lymph (rimpa) – note the p sound
lynch (rinchi) – beating up, so more general than in English
M (emu, from S&M) – masochist
M size (emu saizu) – medium (clothing size, drinks etc). More common than the longer Japanese and English expressions, including in conversation.
Mac (makku) – common short form for MacDonald’s
macaroni (makaroni) – sometimes used for pasta more generally
macaroni western (makaroni uesutan) – spaghetti western
MacDo (makku do) – short form of MacDonald’s
Macedonia (makedonia) – note the k sound, as in many languages
machine (mishin) – sewing machine, not machines more generally. Note the first vowel sound.
madam (madamu) – proprietress of a bar (rather than an owner of a brothel)
madam killer (madamu kiraa) – a guy who is popular with older women
magic (majikku) – magic marker/ permanent marker
magic tape (majikku teipu) – Velcro
mail (meeru) – email and SMS, but not “snail mail”
mail ad (meeru ado, short for mail address) – email address
mail address (meeru adoresu) – email address
mail magazine (meeru magajin) – email newsletter
main bank (mein banku) – the bank that a company does most business with
make (meeku) – short for make up, and much more common than the longer expression
Mama(-san) – bar proprietress
man to man (man tsu man) – one to one/ face to face. This expression is common and not considered sexist
mania (mania) – a fanatic (of sports etc). Note that the first vowel sound is not the “ei” that it is in English, but rather a short “a”
manicure (manikua) – nail polish (a manicure is “nail care”)
mannequin (manekan) – model. Note the French pronunciation.
manner mode – mobile phone’s vibrate/ silent mode
manneri (short for mannerism) – stereotype
mansion (manshon) – a slightly higher class of concrete apartment block, so not a large house. Often contrasted with a cheap wooden “apart” (apaato), with the rarer “heights” and “co-op” somewhere in between.
margarine (maagarin) – note the hard g (as in many other languages)
marihuana (marifana) – note the f sound
marmot (morumotto, from the Dutch for “marmot”) – Guinea pig
marron (maron, from French) – chestnut flavoured sweets etc (but not chestnuts themselves, which are “kuri”)
maso (mazo) – masochist
mass comm (masu komi) – short for mass communications. Note the final i sound.
mass game (masu geimu) – group calisthenics, usually meaning for display rather than Japanese factory workers warming up for the day
mass pro (masu puro) – short for mass production
master (masuta) – manager of small coffee shop, bar or night club, so not an expert
master/ master course (masutaa koosu) – a Master’s (degree)
measure cup (mejaa kappu) – measuring cup
measure spoon (mejaa supuun) – measuring spoon
meat shop (miito shoppu) – a butcher’s (not a pickup bar!)
mecha (meka) – short for mechanical
medias (mejiasu, from Spanish) – knitted goods
meeting (miitingu) – business meeting/ (romantic) date
memo (memo) – a note, e.g. a Post-it on someone’s computer monitor, so not short for “memorandum” and so not a kind of group email
mens (mensu, short for menstruation) – a period
meringue (merange) – note pronunciation
merit (meritto) – advantages (as against “demerit”- disadvantages), used with a slightly wider meaning and more commonly than in English (as the English pros, advantages, positive aspects, etc are not used)
mes (mesu, from Dutch) – scalpel
mesh curtain (messhu kaaten) – net curtains
messe (mese, from German) – convention centre
methane (metan) – note the t sound (from German, I imagine)
microbus (maikurobasu) – minibus
milk tea (miruku tii) – tea with milk/ white tea
milli (miri) – short for both millimetre and milligrams
mind (maindo) – intention
mini (mini) – short for miniskirt
mini comm (mini komi) – local or regional newspaper or magazine, the opposite of mass communications
mini pat (mini paato, short for mini patrol car) – small patrol car/ police car
minus (mainasu) – minus/ disadvantage
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 (mainasu ion) – (non-existent) negative ions, as seen advertised in loads of useless “health” products
mira (miira, from Portuguese) – (ancient) mummy
mispri (misupuri) – short for misprint
miss (misu, possibly short for “mistake”) – miss/ error/ mistake/ typo (and so used more in Japanese than English)
miss contest (misu contesto) – beauty pageant
missa (misa, from Latin) – (Catholic) mass
mix salad (mikkusu sarada) – mixed salad
mixer (mikisaa) – blender
mo bo (mooboo, short for modern boy) – male version of a flapper (mooga), so obviously specific to the early 20^th century
mo gir (mooga, short for modern girl) – a flapper
model change (moderu cheinji) – an updated model, e.g. the new Corolla
model gun (moderu gan) – toy gun/ cap gun
money buil (mane biru, from “building money”) – making money
monitor (monitaa) – consumer taking part of a marketing survey
monosex (monosekkusu) – unisex
monthly mansion (mansurii manshon) – serviced apartments (like the cross between a hotel and an apartment)
mood (muudo) – ambience/ atmosphere, e.g. in a club. so not how someone is feeling
morning (mooningu) – morning coat
morning call (mooning kooru) – wake-up call, in a hotel or by your loved ones
morning service (moonin saabisu) – breakfast special, e.g. pastry and coffee cheaper than at lunchtime
mother com (mazaa con, short for mother complex) – Oedipus complex
mouton (muuton, from the French word for sheep) – sheepskin
muffler (mafuraa) – winter scarf (as sukaafu only means a silk scarf/ headscarf)
mug cup (magu kappu) – mug
multi talent (maruchi tarento) – a multi talented person
multi task (maruchi tasuku) – multi-tasking
mushroom (mashuruumu) – champignon (not mushrooms generally, which is “kinoko”)
MW (emu daburu) – medium wave/ AM
my bag (mai baggu) – your own shopping bag, used to stop using plastic bags from supermarkets etc, so similar to “eco bag”
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
naïve (naiibu) – a positive word meaning innocent or unaffected
name value (neimu balyu) – how much a well-known brand name is worth
napkin (napukin) – panty liner
native (neitibu) – native speaker
native checker (natibu chekkaa) – native speaking proofreader
native level (neitibu reburu) – native speaker level/ near native
NATO (nato) – note first vowel sound
neck (nekku) – bottleneck
neck tie (nekku tai) – tie
necktie pin (nekutai pin) – tie clip
needle penchi (niidoru penchi) – needle-nosed pliers
nega (nega) – short for (photographic) negative
negligee (negurije) – nightdress (however plain)
nego (nego) – short for negotiation
neo (neo) – note short first vowel sound
neon (neon) – note the short first vowel sound
net (netto) – tennis and internet, not general meaning such as fishing
net in (netto in) – a ball that hits the top of the net but goes in
Neurose (noirooze, from German) – neurosis/ nervous breakdown
new half (nyuu harufu) – trans
news value (nyusu baryu) – newsworthy
NG (en jii- short for “no good”) – opposite of OK
nice middle (naisu midoru) – attractive middle aged man
nice midi (naisu midi) – attractive middle aged woman
nicher (nitchaa) (from niche plus -er) – a niche company, note the American pronunciation
night (naito) – nightclub
night care (naito kea) – overnight care
nighter (naitaa) – a baseball night game
nihilist (nihirisuto) – note the short first vowel sound
nine one one (nain wan wan) – 9/11, so not the emergency phone number
nipper (nippaa) – nippers (kind of wire cutters)
nish (nisu) – short for varnish
no bra (noo bura) – braless
no clutch (noo kuratchi) – automatic transmission
no count (noo kaunto) – something that doesn’t count, e.g. a goal which is disallowed
no cut (noo katto) – uncut/ uncensored (movie)
no game (noo geimu) – a baseball game which is called off before the end of the fifth innings and therefore doesn’t count
no make (no meiku) – not wearing make up
no pan (short for no pants/ no panties) – pantyless/ going commando
no sleeve (noo suriibu) – sleeveless
no touch (no tatchi) – non-contact (sport), or having no connection to something
non caffeine (non kafain) – caffeine free/ decaffeinated
non poli (non pori, short for non political) – apolitical, especially used about students in the 60s
non pro (non puro, short for non-professional) – amateur
non sect (non sekuto) – not related to any faction, e.g. in politics
non section (non sekushon) – not divided into sections
nonsense (nansensu) – note the first vowel sound
note (nooto) – notebook or notebook computer (and sometimes laptops more generally)
note perso com (nooto pasokon, short for note personal computer) – laptop
number game/ number play (nambaa purei) – Sudoku
oasis (ooashisu) – note the short second vowel sound
OB (oo bii, short for old boy) – fellow alumni/ old school tie
objet (obuje) – short for objet d’art
off limit (ofu rimitto) – off limits
off reco (ofu reko) – short for off the record
off scene (ofu shin) – action and dialogue off the screen
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)
office hour (ofisu awaa) – office hours
office love (ofisu rabu) – workplace romance
oil gauge (oiru geeji) – dipstick
oil shock (oiru shokku) – energy crisis, oil crisis
OL (oo eru, short for “office lady”) – a rather sexist female equivalent of “salaryman”
old fashion (orudo fasshon) – old fashioned
old miss (orudo misu) – old maid/ spinster
Olympic (orimpiku) – Olympics (the noun as well as the adjective)
om rice (omu raisu, from “omelette rice”) – a thin omelette surrounding rice with ketchup etc
on air (on ea) – on the air
on parade (on pareedo) – on display (e.g. in a shop window)
on the rock (on za rokku) – on the rocks
onani (onanii, short for onanism) – a standard way of saying masturbation, so not medical sounding like the full expression is in English
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 pataan) – repetitive
one piece (wan piisu) – a dress (as against the two pieces of a skirt suit etc), much more common than “doresu”
one room mansion (wan ruumu manshon) – studio apartment (manshon being an apartment building)
one side game (wan saido geimu) – one sided game
open car (oopun kaa) – convertible/ cabriolet
open collar (oopun karaa) – open necked (shirt)
open sand (oopun sando) – short for open sandwich
open set (oopun setto) – outdoor set (for films)
open stage (oopun suteeji) – outdoor stage, so no connection to open mike events such as those at comedy clubs
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)
ounce (onsu) – note the pronunciation, probably from another language such as French
out boxing (auto bokushingu) – keeping the other fighter at a distance and trying to pick them off
out corner (auto koonaa, from outside corner) – something to do with baseball
out course (auto koosu) – out of your lane (in sports)
out of bounds (auto obu baunzu) – only a sports meaning
outlook (autorukku) – outside appearance, so nothing to do with predicting the future
output (autoputto) – only computers, so not factories etc
outside kick (autosaido kikku) – kick with the outside of your foot
oven range (obun renji) – a combined microwave and oven
over (ooba) – overcoat
overall (obaaooru) – dungarees
overhaul (ooba hooru) – a medical check up, as well as the meaning of major car repairs etc
pack (pakku) – many kinds of packaging, including cartons. The same pronunciation as the Japanese pronunciation of (ice hockey) puck
pageant (peejento) – note the long first vowel sound
pair look (pea ruku) – when a couple are wearing matching clothes (“couple look” in Korean)
pajama (pajama)– pyjamas
pan sto (pansuto, short for panty stockings) – panty hose/ tights
paneller (paneraa) – panel member
panic movie (panikku eiga) – disaster movie
pants (pantsu) – seems to have both the British and American meaning, although usually means underpants
pants look (pantsu ruku) – a woman wearing trousers, e.g. as part of a business suit
panty (panchi) – panties. According to my wife, a word only used by pervs. The rest of us just say “pants”
panty stocking (panchi sutokkingu) – tights/ panty hose
pao (pan, from Portuguese) – bread/ pastry
paper company (peipa kampanii) – dummy company/ shell company
paper driver (peipa doraiba) – someone who has a licence but never drives
parasite single (parashaito shinguru) – an adult child who continues to leech off their parents, e.g. not paying rent, long after they have their own job. Now leading to less used expressions like “parasite wife”
Pari colle (pari kore) – short for Paris collection, so related to fashion
part (paato) – a casual job. Often wrongly translated as a part-time job. It often is so, but could easily be 40 hours a week and still be called paato
pass (pasu) – pass/ skip (school)
pat car (pato kaa, short for patrol car) – police car
pench (penchi, from French) – pinchers or pliers
penis (penisu) – note first vowel sound, more similar to spelling and Romance languages
penki (penki, from Dutch) – paint
pension (penshon) – a Western-style minshuku, meaning basically a B&B, so similar to the meaning in many European languages
perma (paama, short for permanent) – perm
perma hair (paama hea) – permed hair
pers com (pasokon, short for personal computer) – PC
pessary (pessarii) – (birth control) diaphragm
pest (pesuto) – bubonic plague (from Portuguese, and similar to French etc)
PET bottle (petto botteru) – plastic bottle especially one with drinks in, e.g. those from vending machines. PET is the correct word for this kind of plastic in English, but very few ordinary people know and/ or use the word in English
petit (puchi, from French) – small. Notice the pron.
petit bour (puchi buru, from French) – short for petit bourgeois
petit tomato (puchi tomato, from French and English) – cherry tomato. Note typical Japanese way of saying “petit”
Philippine (firipin) – The Philippines
pick up (pikku appu) – pick up (in your car)/ select (so more similar to “pick” than “pick up”, and without the trends meaning of “rebound”)
picke (pike, with the e pronounced) – short for picket line
pierce (piasu) – earrings for pierced ears, used much more than “iaringu”
Pierrot (piero, from French) – clown
pill (piru) – only the contraceptive pill, not pills more generally
piment (piman, from French or Portuguese) – a small green pepper
pincette (pinsetto, from French or Dutch) – tweezers
pinch (pinchi) – tight spot
pine juice (pain juusu) – short for pineapple juice (and the same short form of pineapple is used in some other contexts)
pink (pinku) – pornographic, like “blue” in English
pint (pinto, from Dutch) – focus (mainly used as part of the expression pinboke- out of focus)
pipe cut (paipu katto) – vasectomy (don’t ask your plumber for this!)
pit in (pitto in) – going into the pits
pitch (pitchi) – pace, not sports field
pitcher (pitcha) – a large glass that you drink from (rather than a jug you pour from), or the same baseball meaning as in English
pitcher mound (pitchaa maundo) – pitcher’s mound
pla hobby (pura hobii, short for plastic hobby) – making plastic models of planes etc, i.e. making Airfix models
pla mo (pura mo) – plastic models, like Airfix
pla rail (pura reeru) – a kind of model train
platina (purachina, from Spanish) – platinum, note the ch sound
play guide (purei gaido) – ticket agency
play guide (purei gaido) – ticket shop
player (pureeyaa) – short for record player
plus alpha (purasu arufa) – something extra/ an extra added bonus
plus driver (purasu doraiba) – Phillips screwdriver, from the shape of its end. The opposite is “minus driver”
pocket bell (poketto beru, from a brand name) – beeper/ pager
pocketable (poketaburu) – portable/ able to fit in your pocket
poemer (poemaa) – poet
poly (pori) – from polyethylene, a kind of plastic
pops (poppusu) – pop music
port wine (pooto wain) – rarely just “port”
post (posto) – mailbox
pot (pottu) – a large flask that boils the water and then keeps it warm, used in place of a kettle in most Japanese homes
potato (poteito, from potato fry) – fries, so not the uncooked vegetable, which is “jagaimo”
pound (pondo) – the British currency. Note first vowel sound, which makes it possible to distinguish this and the weight.
pre (pure) – note the pronunciation
prefab (purehabu) – note the pronunciation
pre-install (pure insutooru) – pre-installed. Note the pronunciation and lack of grammar
premium (puremiumu) – additional charge. Note the short e sound.
presen (purezen) – short for presentation
presentator (purezentatoo) – presenter (person doing a presentation), as presenter in Japanese only means TV presenter (possibly from another language, as it’s the same in French)
presenter (purozentaa) – only TV presenter, as a person doing a presentation is a presentator
press ham (puresu hamu) – pressed ham
preview (purebyuu) – note the pronunciation
prima (purima) – short for prima ballerina and prima donna
prin clu (puri kura, short for print club) – photo booths that make decorated photos with sticky backs
principal (purinshiparu) – note different pronunciation to principle, which is purinshipuru
principle (purinshipuru) – different pronunciation to principal, which is purinshipuru
print (purinto) – printed matter such as worksheets
private time (puraibeeto taimu) – free time
pro (puro) – short for production, propaganda, professional and programme
pro wres (puro resu, short for professional wrestling) – wrestling (the TV sort, not Olympic wrestling or sumo)
process cheese (purosesu chiizu) – processed cheese
profile (purofil) – note the short last vowel sound
propa (puropaa, short for propagandist) – a kind of marketer
propose (puropoozu) – proposal of marriage
protein (purotein) – note the pronunciation with a diphthong, which is like the spelling, as in many other languages
psyche (saike) – short for psychedelic
puck (pakku) – ice hockey puck, with the same pronunciation as the Japanese pronunciation of pack
pump (pompu, from Dutch) – note the first vowel sound
punc (panku, from puncture) – flat tyre
punch (panchi) – hole punch, as well as a boxing punch and the drink
purin – short for pudding, and having the American meaning of being a kind of crème caramel, rather than the British meaning of a Xmas-pudding-style hot and heavy dessert
puzzle (pazuru) – jigsaw, not puzzles more generally (“jigsaw puzzle” is sometimes also used, but more rarely)
PV (pii bii, from promotion video) – music video, though “MV” is much more common
quilt (kiruto) – note the k rather than kw sound
rabbi (rabi) – note the short second vowel sound
race (reesu) – same pronunciation as “lace” in Japanese
radio case (rajio kase) – short for radio cassette (player)
range (renji, short for oven range) – cooker
range food (renji fuudo) – microwave meals (as range means cooker/ oven)
ransel (randoseru, from Dutch) – Japanese-style leather school satchel, worn on the back
rare (rea) – only used to talk about how a steak is cooked
rear car (ria kaa) – small trailer, e.g. behind a bicycle
rebound (ribaundo) – usually negative, most commonly putting on weight again after dieting
recall (rikoru) – remove someone from office, not to remember
reception (resepushon) – formal dinner, not desk you see when you enter (that’s “uketsuke” for offices and “front” for hotels)
recruit suit (rekruuto suutsu) – very plain suit worn when you first start work as a graduate recruit, in order not to stand out at all
recycle shop (risaikuru shoppu) – second hand shop/ thrift store/ op shop
reform (rifoomu) – alteration or repair, e.g. of building or clothes, not changing the bureaucracy etc
regent style (riijento sutairu) – a quiff
regi (reji, short for register) – cash register/ the till
rehabili (rihabiri, short for rehabilitation) – occupational therapy etc, not rehabilitating someone’s reputation
remo con (rimo kon) – short for remote control
Renaissance (runaisansu) – note the vowel sounds (typical of Japanese pronunciation of French)
repo (rupo) – short for reportage. Note the first vowel sound.
repo writer (rupo raitaa, from reportage writer) – a kind of journalist. Note the first vowel sound.
reportage (rupotaaju, from French) – note the first vowel sound
restaurant (restoran, from French) – note the silent t
retorte (retoruto, from French) – preserved food, especially boil in the bag curry etc
reverse (ribaasu) – puke (reversing a car is “back”)
rinse (rinsu) – some manufacturers are starting to switch to the word “conditioner”, which is what “rinse” is
road racer (roodo reesaa) – racer (bicycle)
road show (roodo shoo) – first run of movies
roas (roosu, short for roast) – pork loin and sirloin, usually a kind of ham and so not actually roasted.
robot (robotto) – figurehead, as in figurehead president, as well as the normal meaning of an actual robot
rock ice (rokku aisu) – ice cube
roll screen (rooru sukuriin) – roller blinds
Roma (roma, from Italian) – Rome
roman (roman, from French) – yearning for adventure, apparently
romance grey (romansu gurei) – hair flecked with grey
romancist (romanchisto) – romanticist
rompers (rompasu) – romper suit (for babies)
Rontgen (rentogen, from German, named after the inventor) – X ray
roof balcony (ruufu barukoni) – rooftop terrace
room cooler (ruumu kuuraa) – a longer and less common way of saying “cooler”, meaning an air conditioning unit that doesn’t heat (“air con” being one that also heats)
ropeway – cable car (in Japanese “cable car” is only used for one that runs on rails like a funicular)
rosario (rosario, from Portuguese) – rosary (only a Catholic one, although Buddhist prayer beads look very similar)
Rossiya (roshiya, from Russian) – Russia
rotary (rotarii) – roundabout
rough (raffu) – casual, e.g. when talking about clothes (and therefore not as negative as the English expression)/ rough
royal milk tea (royaru miruku tii) – tea made with much more milk than normal white tea, like a café latte and a bit like Indian tea . Very sweet, and often iced.
rucksack (ryukkusakku) – rucksack/ knapsack (i.e. can be small)
rugger (ragaa) – rugby player (rather than a nickname for the sport)
running (ranningu) – sleeveless undershirt/ singlet
running home run (ranningu hoomu ran) – inside the park home run
rush (rasshu) – rush/ short for rush hour
RV (aaru bui, short for recreation vehicle) – SUV
ry man (rii man) – slang shortening of salaryman
S (esu, from S&M) – sadistic
S saizu (esu saizu, short for small) – clothing and drinks size
sabao (shabon, from the Portuguese for soap) – soap bubbles
sabotage (sabotaaju) – work-slow, a kind of industrial action
sack (sakku) – condom
sack (sakku) – sack/ fingerstall (protective covering for finger, e.g. when counting money)
Sack (zakku, from German) – backpack
sad (sado, short for sadism) – sadistic
sadist (sadisto) – note the first vowel sound
safe (seifu) – only used in baseball, not more general meaning
saffron (safuran) – note last vowel sound
salada (sarada, from Portuguese) – salad
salaryman (sarariman) – office worker or salaried worker (it doesn’t have the exclusively Japanese or Asian meaning that it does in English)
sales point (seerusu pointo) – selling point/ USP, so not the place where something is sold
sample (sanpuru) – display models for dishes served in a restaurant, apparently
sand (sando) – sandwich. Usually used as part of a compound noun, e.g. chicken sand, with the full word being used on its own
sash (sasshi) – aluminium window frame
sauna (sauna) – note the diphthong first vowel sound, like the spelling and like many other languages
sayonara home run (sayonara hoomuran) – home run in the last innings that ends the game. The Japanese expression is now apparently occasionally used in English
scarf (sukaafu) – only used for a silk scarf/ head scarf (with a winter scarf/ woolly scarf being a “muffler”)
scenario (shinario) – a movie script
scenario writer (shinario raitaa) – screenwriter
schop (sukoppu, from Dutch) – shovel/ trowel
scout (sukauto) – only someone searching for suitable players for their team. Boy scouts always need the full name (boi sukauto) to refer to them.
scramble (sukuaramburu) – a crossing where pedestrians can cross from all sides of a crossroads at the same time, like the famous one outside Shibuya station
scramble egg (sukuramburu eggu) – scrambled eggs
scrap (sukurappu) – scrap/ (newspaper) clippings, so not always something you want to throw away
screwdriver (sukuryuudoraibaa) – only a cocktail (the tool is “driver”)
seal (shiiru) – sticky label/ sticker, usually not used to seal something
sealer (shiiraa) – sealant
season off (shiisun ofu) – off season
seat knock (shiito nokku) – baseball fielding practice
security police (sekyuriti porisu) – bodyguard, so not actual police
self aid (serufu eido) – DIY
semi double (semi daburu) – small double bed
sense (sensu) – good taste, particularly in clothes
senti (senchi) – short for sentimental. Same pronunciation as “centi” (the short form of centimeter)
service (saabisu) – free goods, e.g. coffee refills, dessert, sample
sex frie (seku fure, short for sex friend) – a fling/ a shag/ a lover (i.e. not quite a boyfriend or girlfriend, but not really a friend with benefits either)
sex hara (sekku hara) – short for sexual harassment
SF (esu efu) – short for science fiction. This form is apparently also used by English speaking sci-fi buffs, but in Japanese it is the only way of saying it
shade (sheido) – short for lampshade, with no more general meaning
shaker (sheekaa) – cocktail shaker
share (shea) – market share (rather than stock, and not meaning cut up a cake etc)
sharp pen (shaa pen, short for sharp pencil, from the brand name by the company Sharp, which later adopted the name of the product for the whole company) – mechanical pencil/ automatic pencil
sheet (shiito) – only on bed, not paper
sherbet (shaabetto) – sorbet, so always cold
shoot chance (shuuto chansu) – a chance to shoot
short cut (shooto katto) – a short hair cut/ crew cut (rather than a shorter route)
show window (shoo uindo) – shop window
Sicilia (shichiria, from Italian) – Sicily
side brake (saido bureeki) – handbrake/ parking brake
side business (saido bijinesu) – side job, not necessarily your own company
side chair (saido chea) – chair with no arms
side player (saido pureeyaa) – supporting actor
side throw (saido suroo) – sidearm throw
sign (sain) – autograph/ signature, so a noun not a verb
sign pen (sain pen) – felt tip pen
silhouette (siroetto) – also used for outline more generally
silver age (shiruba eiji) – old age
silver seat (shiruba shiito) – seat for old and disabled people on a train
single (shinguru) – single breasted suit
sister (shisutaa) – nun (not a member of your family)
skate rink (sukeeto rinku) – skating rink
ski (suki) – ski(s)/ skiing, with “sukiingu” not really used
skinship (sukinshippu) – physical contact
skyline (sukairain) – scenic mountain highway
SL (esu eru, short for steam locomotive) – steam train
slacks (surakkusu) – women’s trousers
slice ham (suraisu ham) – sliced ham
slide (suraido) – photo only, not part of a playground, which is “suberidai”
slip (surippu) – to skid
slump (suranpu) – only the metaphorical meaning of a bad period, not your shoulders
SM (esu emu) – S&M
small light (sumooru raito) – parking light/ side light
smart (sumaato) – slim, so nothing to do with intelligence or neatness
smoke salmon (sumooku saamon) – smoked salmon
snack (sunakku) – a kind of small bar, ironically usually with few food choices, or a snack
snap (sunappu) – popper (on clothes)
SNS (esu en esu) – social media (SNS being technically correct in English, but mainly used by experts and so much less common than in Japanese)
soapland (soopurando) – a kind of “massage parlour”
sofa (sofaa) – sofa/ armchair, so includes a small one for one person
soft cream (sofuto kuriimu) – Mr Whippy style ice cream
soliste (sorisuto, from French) –soloist
spats (supattsu) – leggings, e.g. ones you wear for aerobics, so no connection to classic gangster movies
spell (superu) – a noun meaning spelling (rather than magic spell)
spuit (supoito – from Dutch) – (plastic) pipette/ dropper
squall (sukooru) – note no w sound
st (suto) – short for strike, meaning industrial action
sta jum (suta jan, short for stadium jumper) –tracksuit top
sta mem (sutaa men) – short for starting member (meaning founding member)
stadium (sutajiamu) – note the first vowel sound
stadium jumper (sutajiamu janpaa) – tracksuit top
stainless (sutainresu) – stainless steel
stamp (sutampu) – postmark/ date stamp/ etc (not a postage stamp)
stamp rally (sutampu rarii) –going from place to place, e.g. station to station, collecting stamps on a piece of paper
stand (sutando, short for stand lamp) – a small lamp
stand bar (sutando baa) – small, informal bar where most people stand up or perch on stools
stand play (sutando purei) – grandstanding
Starbu (sutaba) – common short form for Starbucks
stardom (sutaadam) – note the final vowel sound
start dash (sutaato dasshu) – fly out the blocks
start line (staato rain) – starting line
starting block (sutaatingu burokku) – starting blocks, note no final -s
starting member (sutaatingu membaa) – a founder
steck (stekki, from Dutch) – walking stick
step up (suteppu appu) – step up/ be promoted
still (suchiiru) – a movie still. Note the long vowel sound, making the pronunciation the same as the Japanese pronunciations of steal and steel
stock (sutokku, from German) – ski stick
stove (sutoobu) – (gas, oil or electric) heater/ fire, so not connected to cooking
straw (sutoroo) – drinking thing, not dried grass
strip (sutorippu) – strip club
stunts (sutantsu) – turns, twists etc in sports (what a stuntman does is sutanto)
style (sutairu) – someone’s figure
sub mane (sabu mane, short for sub manager) – assistant manager
suite room (suito rummu) – a hotel suite
summertime (samaataimu) – summertime/ daylight saving time
summit (samitto) – just a kind of conference for important people, so not top of a mountain
sunglass (sangurasu) – sunglasses
super (suupaa) – short for supermarket, and much more common than the longer word
super cool biz (supaa kuuru bizu) – a more extreme version of “cool biz” that allows Hawaiian shirts etc in the office to save on energy consumption
supporter (sapootaa) – knee support
surf (saafu) – surfing (not used for the actual waves)
swapper (swappaa) – wife swapper/ swinger
Sweden (sueden) – note the short first vowel sound
sweet potato (suito poteito) – a kind of cake (the root vegetable being “satsuma imo”)
Swiss (suisu) – both Swiss and Switzerland
symbol mark (shinboru maaku) – logo
system kitchen (shisutemu kitchin) – fitted kitchen
T back (tii bakku) – G string/ thong (“T back” seems to exist in English, but is not common)
table cover (teiburu kabaa) – tablecloth
table manner (teburu manaa) – table manners
table speech (teiburu supiichi) – after dinner speech (not a speech given standing on a table)
tail lamp (teeru rampu) – taillight
Takt (takuto, from German) – baton/ supervisor/ tempo
talent (tarento) – television personality/ celebrity
talk show (tooku shoo) – panel discussion programme
tank lorry (tanku rorii) – a tanker (the only time “lorry” is used in Japanese, all other kinds being “truck”)
teck (tekku) – place for practising driving
tek (teki, from French biftek) – a kind of steak, usually as part of “tonteki” (pork tek)
tele clu (tere kura) – short for telephone club, part of the sex industry
telegong (teregongu) – voting by telephone for television programmes
teleport (terepooto) – satellite station, so nothing to do with teleportation
televi (terebi) – short for television, like “TV” or “telly” in English. The longer expression “telebijion” is very rare.
televi game (terebi geemu, meaning “TV game”) – video game
telop (terropu, from Television Opaque Projector) – text or graphics superimposed on TV image/ autocue
ten key (ten kii) – numeric keypad
tenant (tenanto) – for rent (often seen on signs in windows, so rarely used in conversation)
terrace (terasu) – terrace/ balcony, i.e. often smaller than a terrace would be in English
terror (teroo) – terrorism, not the more general feeling of fear
tester (tesutaa) – multimeter
testosterone (tesutosuteron) – note the short final vowel sound
tex (tekkusu, short for texture) – pulp etc used to give texture to walls and ceilings
text (tekisuto) – short for textbook, with no more general meaning of written text etc
Thai (tai) – both Thai and Thailand
Thema (teema, from German) – theme. Note the “t” sound.
Thema park (teema paaku, from the German for theme plus park) – theme park
These (teeze, from German) – thesis
three size (surii saizu) – vital statistics/ a woman’s body measurements
ticket (chiketto) – ticket for a play or museum, but not a train (which is “kippu”)
time service (taimu saabisu) – a limited time special offer, such as free refills at breakfast time
time up (taimu appu) – time’s up
timely hit (taimurii hitto) – RBI hit/ clutch hit (in baseball)
tinctuur (chinki, from Dutch) – tincture
title back (taitoru bakku) – film credits
tobacco (tabako, from Portuguese) – both tobacco and, most commonly, cigarettes
toggle button (toguru botan) – toggle (on clothes)
toile (toire) – toilet. Note the missing t sound.
ton (ton) – tonne. Note the vowel sound
tong (tongu) – tongs. Note the missing -s
tonic (tonikku) – hair tonic
top lady (toppu redii) – first lady
torch (toochi) – only a fiery one, not a flashlight
touch (tacchi) – high five
touch out (tacchi auto) – tag someone
towelket (from “towel blanket”) – a kind of huge towel which you sleep under
trai pan (tore pan, short for training pants) – tracksuit trousers
trailer house (toreeraa hausu) – trailer/ mobile home
trainer (toreinaa) – sports trainer/ sweatshirt
trans (toransu) – short for transformer
transistor (toranjisutaa) – short for transistor radio
trap (tarappu, from Dutch) – ramp or steps to a plane or ship, so no connection to catching things
trapen (tora pen, short for transparency) – OHP transparency
Trauma (torauma, from German) – trauma. Note the diphthong second vowel sound
travel watch (toraburu uotchi) – travel alarm clock (so not actually a watch)
trump (toranpu) – deck of playing cards/ card games in general (not just one game that you can play with them, so poker for example is also trumps in Japanese)
trunk (toranku) – short for trunk room
trunk room (toranku ruumu) – storage room, e.g. a place where you pay to put things into storage
tube (chuubu) – inner tube
Tupper (tappa, short for Tupperware) – plastic box for storing food
turbine (taabin) – note the short second vowel sound
tutorial (chuutoriaru) – only computer meaning
twin (tsuin) – only hotel room, not kids born at the same time (which is “futago”)
two shot (tsuu shotto) – a photo or film scene with just a couple in it
two tone colour (tsuu ton karaa) – two tone
u car (yuu kaa) – short for used car
Ukraina (ukraina) – Ukraine. Note first and last vowel sounds
un gr (angora, from the first syllables of “under” and “ground”) – underground (just the metaphorical meaning)
un gr money (an gura manee, short for underground money) – black market money
underskill (andaasukiru) – a lack of skills
underthrow (andaasuroo) – underarm throw
unit (yunitto) – unit/ prefabricated
unit bath (yunitto basu) – modular bathroom/ prefabricated all-in-one bathroom
up skirt (appu sukaato) – pervy photo
upper middle (appa midoru) – upper middle class
Uran (uran, from German) – Uranium
Urethan (uretan, from German) – urethane
V (bui) – note the vowel sound, used to distinguish it from B (bii) because many Japanese don’t pronounce the consonants differently
vacances (bakansu, from French) – holiday
Vakzin (wakuchin, from German) – vaccine. Note the very different pronunciation.
Valentine Day (barentain dei) – Valentine’s day
variation (barieeshon) – note the first vowel sound
Vaseline (waserin, from German) – note the first sound
veludo (biroodo, from Portuguese) – velvet
veneer (beniya) – plywood
veranda (beranda) – usually more like a balcony
version up (baajon appu) – upgrade/ update/ new version (for software etc)
very short (berii shooto) – almost cropped hair for women, something like Annie Lennox
veteran (beteran) – veteran/ expert
video (bideo) – note the e sound
Viking (baikingu) – Viking/ buffet (presumably because Swedish people eat smorgasbord)
vinyl (biniiru) – any kind of flexible plastic, as in biniiru bukurou (plastic bag), not just records and fake leather jackets and sofas as in English
vinyl house (biniru hausu) – a greenhouse made from plastic sheeting
vinyl tie (biniiru tai) – twist ties
virgin road (baajin roodo) – aisle in a church (down which a bride walks)
vis (bisu, from French) – screw
vodka (uokka, direct from Russian) – note the first sound
volley (baree) – volley/ short for volleyball
wagon (wagon) – cart/ wagon/ station wagon/ estate (car)
waist (uesuto) – only measurement, not that part of the body
warm biz (waamu bizu) – dressing warm in the office to cut down on heating bills, the opposite of “cool biz” in the summer
washlet (uoshuretto, from wash + toilet) – combined toilet and bidet
Watt (watto) – note the first vowel sound
weekly mansion (uiikurii manshon) – serviced apartments
Weiner coffee (uinaa kohii, from German) – Viennese coffee
wet (uetto) – tender-hearted/ (over) sentimental
whip (hoippu) – confectioner’s cream
whip cream (hoippu kurimu) – whipped cream
whisky bonbon (uisukii bon bon) – liquor chocolates
white (howaito) – Tippex/ correction fluid
wide (waido) – wide/ big/ long, and so used with a more general meaning in Japanese than in English
wide lens (waido renzu) – wide angle lens
wide show (waido shoo) – a kind of variety show, apparently so named because of its length
wind orchestra (uindo ookesutora) – wind ensemble
wine colour (wain karaa) – burgundy (colour)
wiper (waipaa) – windscreen wipers
wire cup (waiyaa kappu) – underwired (bra)
woman lib (uuman ribu) – feminist
wood (uudo) – golf only, not the material more generally
wood bass (uudo beisu) – double bass
wor pro (waa puro) – short for word processor
wrap sand (rappu sando, short for wrap sandwich) – wrap, e.g. chicken and salad wrap
wrecker (rekkaa) – tow truck
XS size (eksu esu saizu) – short for extra small size, and used much more than the longer Japanese and English forms, including in conversation
Y shirt (wai shatsu, from “white shirt”) – (business) shirt/ dress shirt (of any colour)
yacht (yooto) – any size of sailing boat
Yankee (yankii) – good-for-nothings，layabouts，hooligans，thugs (plus a fashion style and behaviour associated with such people)
yard pound (yaado paundo) – Imperial measurements (with the expression being made up of two examples)
yeast (iisuto) – note the silent y, making it sound like “East”. Only used in some contexts, as there is also a Japanese expression.
yell (eiru) – supportive cheers of spectators at sports game
yellow (iero) – note the first sound
yellow dog (iero doggu) – seeing eye dog
Yellow Page (iero peiji) – Yellow Pages. Note the missing s
yellow paper (iero peipaa) – tabloid/ gossip rag, like the old English expression “yellow press”
yoga (yoga) – note short o
Z (zetto) – note the consonant sound
Zeitgeist (tsuaitogaisuto) – from German. Note the first consonant sound
Zemi (zemi, short for Zeminar, from German) – seminar, meaning the more interactive kind of university lecture. Note the first sound.
zero (zero) – note the first vowel sound

14 Responses to Complete A to Z of Janglish (Japanese English)

Alex Case says:

26/09/2011 at 10:14

Why would a Japanese learner want to speak English to other Japanese people outside the classroom?? There is an ELF connection though, which I will post about some time this week.

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Bekah says:

26/09/2011 at 08:48

Wow–great list! I first came across this concept (of Japanese English, an of World Englishes in general) while I was writing my thesis. I think it is important, as an language educator, to know the linguistic context in which your students will be speaking. It is a disservice to teach the traditional BrE or AmE definitions as the only ones for students who will be interacting primarily with other Japanese English speakers. I will pass this on to my English Teacher friends in Japan!

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Jon says:

14/11/2013 at 09:05

I would add
short pants – shorts.
mountain climbing – hiking My grandmother goes mountain climbing.

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hootowl222 says:

30/12/2014 at 05:45

To be born: “to born.” Example: “Happy I born in Japan. I grad I don’t born in North Korea.

Also, to give birth; transitively, to give birth to: “to born.” Example: “My friend Sashiko sent retter. She born baby boy rast week.”

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alexcase says:

30/12/2014 at 08:43

Thanks hootowl, though I tend to classify them as “typical Japanese mistakes” rather than Janglish (though plenty of other people do use the words Janglish or Japlish that way)

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hootowl222 says:

30/12/2014 at 18:42

Alex, maybe we should have distinct terms for English words and phrases borrowed into Japanese but with meanings different from their normal significance in English, and non-fluent English as spoken by native speakers of Japanese. Should we use “Janglish” exclusively for the former and “Engrish” for the latter?

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hootowl222 says:

30/12/2014 at 18:48

A few of the Janglish words have the normal meaning in British English (Christian name, tail lamp).

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alexcase says:

30/12/2014 at 20:44

Isn’t it tail light rather than tail lamp in English? As the explanation says, “Christian name” in Japanese means baptism name (though I’ve never heard anyone use it and can’t remember where I got that from), whereas in English it simply means “first name”/ “given name”.

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alexcase says:

30/12/2014 at 20:53

There’s no easy solution to the terminology problem, and it’s not just Japanese. Spanglish also has the same three meanings as Janglish – “made in Spanish speaking countries English”, typical mistakes by Spanish speaking learners of English, and a kind of pidgin form of English (or in the case of Spanish more of a Spanish-English hybrid) spoken by immigrants. I don’t like the term “Engrish” though, which in fact seems to be used mainly to mean “amusing mistakes by Japanese speakers”, or if you look on the Engrish site it has spread beyond that to mainly Chinese mistakes. As with overemphasizing problems with r and l, unfortunately I think it has become tinged with a bit of racism.

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hootowl222 says:

30/12/2014 at 23:34

I suppose you are right, and there is no easy solution. The things I have posted are what I hear from Japan-born residents of the US; I think that, in addition to being amusing (as I assume the way Americans speak Japanese must be to the Japanese) they tell us something about the way the Japanese language functions; we may perceive only mistakes in English, but if there are discernible patterns to the mistakes it is likely to be a result of combining English vocabulary with Japanese (or other language) grammar, the same process at work in constructing pidgins and creoles.

Even Wikipedia thinks that “headlamp” is the proper term for the equipment, and “headlight” strictly means the beam of light thrown by the headlamp, but in my experience this is another of the distinctions maintained in British usage but blurred in American.

“Christian name” in its original pre-Reformation context was precisely the name given in baptism, which was also, of course, the first name. It came to be synonymous with “first name” as used by Americans by analogy, when first the Protestants allowed given names not belonging to any saint, and second non-Christians became numerous enough, so, curiously, Rajiv Chatterjee and Mordechai Silverstein came to have “Christian names.” In Japan there was no need to borrow a foreign term for the _mei_ (shita no namae), so the odd habit of attributing a “Christian name” to non-Christians did not arise. But a Brit would probably understand what was meant by kurisuchan neemu without trouble, while an American might find it puzzling.

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alexcase says:

31/12/2014 at 02:19

I’m British, and I had trouble even understanding what a baptism name to begin with, being a protestant country and all… “Christian name” is an exact synonym of “given name” to me, if a somewhat old fashioned and non-PC one

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Shaun Smith says:

22/08/2015 at 22:45

Skyline, (the car from Nissan) ‘Suka/ ‘Sukairain’
It doesn’t mean city horizon, but a line to the sky ie. a mountain road.

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alexcase says:

23/08/2015 at 00:49

That’s in the list already, but hadn’t made the connection the car name, so thanks for that.

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Marriott Garces Dela Cruz says:

06/02/2020 at 15:09

Earrings (iyaringu)
Pierce (pisu)

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