Japanese

What Does Are Mean in Japanese? あれ as “Huh?” and “That”

Hello, I’m Kodak. A Japanese character looks in a bag, pauses, and says: あれ？ Are? Learner The subtitle says “Huh?” But I learned that あれ means “that.” Which meaning is correct? Kodak Both are correct! Japanese has two common uses of あれ (are): あれ？ = “Huh?” / “That’s strange.” あれ = “that over there.” Quick answer あれ？ (Are?) Huh? / Wait, what? / That’s strange. ⇒ A reaction when something is unexpected, missing, different, or confusing. あれ (are) That; that thing over there. ⇒ A demonstrative pronoun referring to something away from both speaker and listener. […]

Woman with a shocked expression, hand on cheek

Japanese Exclamations: 55 Common Interjections & Things Japanese People Shout

Hello, I’m Kodak. Japanese conversations are full of short reactions: え？うそ！やった！よし！やばい！よいしょ！ Learner They are short, but subtitles translate them in many different ways. How am I supposed to know what they mean? Kodak Do not memorize only one English translation. A Japanese exclamation often expresses a reaction, attitude, or signal. Its natural English meaning changes with the scene, tone, and relationship. Quick beginner map Surprised or confused: え？・あれ？・うそ！・まさか！ Happy or successful: やった！・よかった！・最高！ Ready to act: よし！・よっしゃ！・さあ！ Something went wrong: しまった！・まずい！・やばい！ Physical effort: よいしょ！・どっこいしょ！・せーの！ Calling someone: ねえ・おい・もしもし・こら Responding: はい・うん・いいえ・なるほど What Are Japanese […]

Is Emoji a Japanese Word? Emoji vs Emoticon: Meaning, Origin & Difference

Hello, I’m Kodak. The words emoji and emoticon look so similar that many people assume they share the same origin. Learner Does emoji come from emotion? Kodak No. That resemblance is a coincidence. Emoji is a Japanese word made from 絵 (e), meaning “picture,” and 文字 (moji), meaning “character” or “written symbol.” Its literal meaning is “picture character.” Quick answer Is emoji a Japanese word? Yes. English borrowed emoji from Japanese 絵文字 (えもじ / emoji). What does emoji literally mean? 絵 (e) = picture or drawing 文字 (moji) = letter, character, or written symbol Therefore, 絵文字 literally means […]

Waterfall cascading through a green forest

Is Tsunami a Japanese Word? Why 津波 Literally Means “Harbor Wave”

Hello, I’m Kodak. You probably already know what a tsunami is. But have you ever looked closely at the word itself? Learner Is tsunami really a Japanese word? Kodak Yes! Tsunami comes directly from the Japanese word 津波 (つなみ). It is made from 津 (tsu), meaning “harbor,” and 波 (nami), meaning “wave.” So its literal meaning is “harbor wave.” Quick answer Is tsunami a Japanese word? Yes. English borrowed tsunami from Japanese 津波 (つなみ). What does tsunami literally mean? 津 (tsu) = harbor 波 (nami) = wave Therefore, 津波 literally means “harbor wave.” However, this raises another […]

Does “Honcho” Come from Japanese? The Origin of “Head Honcho”

Hello, I’m Kodak. When English speakers talk about the most powerful person in an office or organization, they sometimes call that person the head honcho. Learner “Head honcho” sounds a little Spanish to me. Is that where it comes from? Kodak No. Honcho comes from the Japanese word 班長 (はんちょう / hanchō). In Japanese, 班長 means the leader of a small group, squad, section, or work team. Quick answer Where does honcho come from? English honcho comes from Japanese 班長 (hanchō). What does 班長 mean? 班 (han) = group, squad, or team 長 (chō) = leader, chief, or […]

Does “Skosh” Come from Japanese “Sukoshi”? Meaning, Origin & Usage

Hello, I’m Kodak. You may occasionally hear an English speaker say: Move it a skosh to the left. Move it just a little to the left. Learner What is a skosh? It does not sound like a normal English word. Kodak That is because it came from Japanese! English skosh comes from Japanese 少し (すこし / sukoshi), meaning “a little” or “a small amount.” Quick answer Where does skosh come from? It comes from Japanese 少し (sukoshi). What does skosh mean? A small amount; a little bit; a touch; a smidgen. How did sukoshi become skosh? U.S. servicemen […]

45 English Words from Japanese: Loanwords You Didn’t Know Were Japanese

Hello, I’m Kodak. You already use more Japanese words in English than you may realize. Some are obviously connected with Japan, such as sushi, samurai, and karate. Others are much more surprising: tycoon honcho skosh rickshaw ginkgo emoji Learner Wait—tycoon and skosh came from Japanese too? Kodak Yes! English has borrowed Japanese words through diplomacy, trade, immigration, military contact, food culture, martial arts, technology, and entertainment. Some words stayed close to their Japanese meaning. Others changed so much that their Japanese origin is almost invisible. Quick answer A loanword is a word taken from another language and […]

What Does 39 Mean in Japanese? “Thank You” and Hatsune Miku Explained

Hello, I’m Kodak. You may see the number 39 in a Japanese message and be told that it means “thank you.” Then you may see the same number on a Hatsune Miku song, event, game, or fan account and be told that it means “Miku.” Learner How can the same number mean both “thank you” and “Miku”? Kodak Because Japanese number wordplay can assign more than one sound to the same digit. 3 (san) + 9 (kyū) sounds like サンキュー (sankyū), the Japanese pronunciation of English “thank you.” But 3 (mi) + 9 (ku) forms ミク (Miku). Quick […]

What Does 888 Mean in Japanese? “Pachi Pachi” Clapping Numbers Explained

Hello, I’m Kodak. You are watching a Japanese livestream. A singer finishes a song, and the comment section suddenly fills with: 888888888888888 Learner Why is everyone typing the number 8? Does 888 mean “good,” “lucky,” or something else? Kodak In Japanese online comments, repeated 8s usually represent 拍手 (hakushu), or applause. The number 8 is はち (hachi). It is playfully connected with ぱち (pachi), and パチパチ (pachi pachi) is the sound of clapping. Quick answer 888 / 8888 / 888888… ⇒ パチパチパチ… (pachi pachi pachi…) ⇒ the sound of hands clapping ⇒ applause, praise, congratulations, or “well […]

Japanese Traditional Arts Vocabulary: 40 Japanese Art Forms & the Meaning of “-dō”

Hello, I’m Kodak. When people first explore Japanese culture, they often encounter words such as shodō, sadō, kadō, origami, kabuki, nō, and ukiyo-e. Learner Are all of these “Japanese traditional arts”? And why do so many Japanese art words end in -dō? Kodak They belong to several different categories. Some are disciplined arts or “Ways”, some are performing arts, some are visual arts, and others are craft traditions. The element dō (道) means “way” or “path” and often presents an activity as a field of sustained practice. Quick answer Japanese traditional arts include practices such as: shodō — […]