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Top 5 famous Japanese Words

By October 19, 2024Uncategorized

Japanese words often reflect the culture’s nuances and social context. The language is rich in vocabulary derived from native origins as well as loanwords from other languages, especially English. Many everyday terms are constructed using Hiragana and Katakana, while Kanji characters convey deeper meanings and concepts. Japanese also features numerous onomatopoeic expressions, which vividly represent sounds and actions, enhancing communication. Additionally, honorifics and various levels of politeness shape how words are used, making the choice of vocabulary crucial in social interactions. This blend of simplicity and complexity gives Japanese its distinctive charm.

Today, there are 3 major distinct languages spoken by people in Japan. Those are the Standard Japanese, also called Nihongo by the Japanese people themselves, the Ryukyuan languages, and the Okinawan languages

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

Think of karaoke. Emoji. Karate. 

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

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

Japanese words

Here are some famous Japanese words

Anime

Fun fact, anime is really a loanword of a loanword! “Animation” became anime (アニメ) in Japanese, which became the English word for Japanese animation. Whew!

Emoji

From the Japanese e (絵, ‘picture’) and moji (文字, ‘character’), originally meaning a pictogram

Origami

From the Japanese origami (折り紙), from ori (折り, “to fold”) and kami (紙, “paper”)

Sumo

From the Japanese sumō (相撲), literally “striking one another”

Tsunami

From the Japanese tsunami (津波), meaning “harbour wave”

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check out the previous blogs in this series

https://abkaots-th.com/unique-importance-of-japanese-language-part-1/

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