341 - Misleading Katakana Words
Misleading Katakana Words or “Times I Was Confused in Japanese”
After learning katakana, at one point we all start to assume that when we sound out a word, there will be an easy equivalent in English, and we will understand immediately. But this isn’t always the case. As you know there are some katakana words that come from other languages, so they don't have an English equivalent. アルバイト for example comes from a German word for “job.”
Of course it gets more tricky than this, because sometimes the Japanese katakana was misinterpreted when it was translated, and it stuck. In these cases, the Japanese katakana sounds like an English word, but it means something else.
Sometimes a completely different meaning. Such occurrences are referred to as:
和製英語
わせいえいご
Japanese English
Literally: "made-in-Japan English."
Here are some katakana words that are pretty misleading for English speakers...
シール - Sticker
What it sounds like: Seal, seal (the animal??)
This one isn’t too far-fetched. A seal and a sticker can sometimes mean the same thing in English. However, when you hear it alone in a Japanese conversation, it might be confusing.
シャツにシールが貼られている。
シャツ に シール が はられている。
There is a sticker on the shirt.
Literally: “shirt + に + sticker + が + stuck to”
クレーム - Complaint
What it sounds like: Claim
Again, not too different, but it can be hard to understand if a Japanese person is talking about a claim they received at the office, when they mean a complaint.
お客様からクレームがありました。
おきゃくさま から クレーム が ありました。
There was a complaint from a customer.
Literally: “customer + from + complaint + が + there was”
ドライバー - Screwdriver
What it sounds like: Driver
This is a tricky one, as sometimes ドライバー can mean someone who drives in Japanese. But it also means screwdriver. This can be very confusing when your landlord asks if you have a “driver” to fix the smoke alarm in your apartment.
ドライバーでネジを外しなさい。
ドライバー で ネジ を はずしなさい。
Take out the screw with a screwdriver.
Literally: “screwdriver + で + screw + を + take out”
Note: For Flathead and Philips head screwdrivers, Japanese people say マイナス and プラス, which makes way more sense in my opinion.
バイキング - Buffet
What it sounds like: Viking, biking
The first time I saw this, I was less confused and more excited. “Let’s go to the Viking lunch!” I stated with enthusiasm, only to be disappointed when it was just a buffet style lunch and not a Nordic themed restaurant with burly men with beards as the waiters.
このレストランはバイキング形式です。
この レストラン は バイキング けいしき です。
That restaurant is buffet style.
Literally: “this + restaurant + は + buffet + style + です”
There is also a Japanese word for "buffet." In fact, they have two pronunciations of "buffet:" ブッフェ and ビュッフェ.
デモ - Protest
What it sounds like: Demo
This obviously comes from the word “demonstration,” which can also mean a protest. However, when I heard it for the first time, my imagination went to a teacher in front of a classroom, instead of people holding picket signs.
彼はその反核デモに参加した。
かれ は その はんかく デモ に さんか した。
He participated in that antinuclear protest.
Literally: “he + は + that + antinuclear + protest + に + participated + did”
ベビーカー - Stroller, carriage, pram
What it sounds like: Baby car
If you think of this one for a bit, it’s easy to infer the meaning. It still makes me giggle though, when I think about a baby driving a car.
その女性はベビーカーを押していました。
その じょせい は ベビーカー を おしていました。
That woman was pushing a stroller.
Literally: “that + woman + は + stroller + を + was pushing”
パンツ - Underwear
What it sounds like: Pants
This is for all my American learners out there. For people from the UK “pants” means underwear, so you guys are set. But in America, "pants" means pants! I will just let you imagine the embarrassing things I have said about my underwear in public by mixing these words up….
その店で素敵なパンツを買いました。
その みせ で すてきな パンツ を かいました。
I bought some great underwear at that shop.
Literally: “that + shop + で + great + underwear + を + bought”
A tricky note: Though it's a relatively new word, it appears that パンツ is also starting to be used when referring to, well, pants (i.e. not underwear). However, the intonation is different. Put emphasis on the first syllable to say "underwear," パンツ, and put emphasis on the last syllable to say "pants," パンツ. A more common word for pants, by the way, is ズボン.
トランプ - Playing Cards
What it sounds like: Donald Trump
As soon as the election coverage started, this became a word that came up frequently. Unfortunately, it is spelled the same as Mr. Trump in Japanese, so you can imagine the confusion. But the Japanese have been using “trump” to mean playing cards for ages.
トランプを一枚引く
トランプ を いちまい ひく
Draw one card
Literally: “card + を + one (flat thing) + draw
トランプを切る
トランプ を きる
To shuffle cards
Literally: “cards + を + shuffle”
トランプをする
トランプ を する
To play cards
Literally: “cards + を + do”
スマート - Stylish, slender
What it sounds like: Smart
A compliment is a compliment right? Even so, I was happier when someone was calling me smart before I found out that they just meant I was stylish. I guess that explains why they were talking about my scarf.
彼女は派手なコートをスマートに着こなしている。
かのじょ は はで な コート を スマート に きこなしている。
She pulls off wearing that loudly designed coat well.
Literally: “she + は + loud / showy / gaudy + coat + を + stylishly + に + is wearing stylishly”
Note: To get an idea of what a 派手なコート looks like, just enter it into Google images.
彼女は背が高くスマートです。
かのじょ は せ が たかく スマート です。
She is tall and slender.
Literally: “she + は + back + が + tall + slender + です”
Note: There is also a Japanese phrase, すらっとしてる, which means "looking slim or slender." Sound that out, and then imagine my confusion when someone called me slim!
ハイタッチ - High Five
What it sounds like: High Touch
This makes sense if you think about it, it's actually weird that we say “high five” instead of “high touch” or “high slap.”
私たちはハイタッチしました。
わたしたち は ハイタッチ しました。
We high-fived.
Literally: “we + は + high five + did”
カンニング - Cheating
What it sounds like: Cunning
So I guess cheating is a type of cunning, but I still have no idea where this came from.
もし試験でカンニングしたら０点だよ。
もし しけん で カンニング したら れい てん だよ。
If you cheat on the test, you will get zero points.
Literally: “if + test + で + cheat + if you do + zero + points + だよ”
I hope these cleared some things up for you guys. And I really hope you will be able to keep these in mind, as some of them can be really embarrassing!
This lesson was written by Cassy L., a guest contributor:
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