sci.lang.japan FAQ / 4. Words from other languages

4.3. Which Japanese words come from German?

Japanese borrowed many words from German particularly medical words from the study of medicine in Germany by Japanese doctors during the Meiji era. Also common are words related to mountain climbing and skiing, such as gerende for "ski slope".

These German words often sound confusingly like the equivalent English word. For example, enerugii for "energy".

Japanese (katakana)	Japanese (romanized)	German	Meaning of Japanese word in English	Notes
アドレナリン	adorenarin	Adrenalin	adrenalin
アレルギー	arerugī	Allergie	allergy
アルバイト	arubaito	Arbeit	Part-time work	The original meaning of Arbeit is just "work", but in Japanese it signifies a casual part-time job.
アスピリン	asupirin	Aspirin	aspirin
バウムクーヘン	baumukūhen	Baumkuchen	Baumkuchen	A cake in the form of tree rings, very popular in Japan.
ベクトル	bekutoru	Vektor	vector
ボンベ	bombe	Bombe	gas cylinder
ビールス	bīrusu	Virus	virus
チフス	chifusu	Typhus	typhus
ダックスフント	dakkusufunto	Dachshund	dachshund (dog breed)
デマ	dema	Demagogie	demagoguery
ディーゼル	deqīzeru	Diesel	diesel engine	The fuel is called keiyu (軽油) in Japanese.
デーモン	dēmon	Dämon	demon
ドーベルマン	dōberuman	Dobermann	doberman (dog breed)
エネルギー	enerugī	Energie	energy
フォルクスワーゲン	fuorukusuwāgen	Volkswagen	Volkswagen
ゲノム	genomu	Genom	genome
ゲレンデ	gerende	Gelände	ski slope
ギプス	gipusu	Gips	plaster cast; cast	Some sources also claim this word is from Dutch. Reference 1 gives it as from German.
グミ	gumi	gummi	gumdrop
グルッペ	guruppe	Gruppe	group
ガーゼ	gāze	Gaze	bandages
ハルン	harun	Harn	urine (medical)
ヘゲモニー	hegemonī	Hegemonie	hegemony
ヘルペス	herupesu	Herpes	herpes
ヒステリー	hisuterī	Hysterie	hysteria
ホルモン	horumon	Hormon	hormone
ヒュッテ	hyutte	Hütte	mountain hut
ハーケン	hāken	Haken	piton (climbing tool)
ハーケンクロイツ	hākenkuroitsu	Hakenkreuz	swastika	This refers to the Nazi swastika rather than the Japanese symbol. See 1.3.6. What are the names of the Japanese non-kana, non-kanji symbols?.
イデオロギー	ideorogī	Ideologie
インポ	impo	Impotenz	impotence
ジフィリス	jifuirisu	Syphilis	syphillis
カフェイン	kafuein	Kaffein	caffeine
カノン	kanon	Kanon	canon
カプセル	kapuseru	Kapsel	capsule
カリエス	kariesu	Karies	caries, tooth decay
カルテ	karute	Karte	medical records
キンダーガルテン	kindāgaruten	Kindergarten
コッヘル	kohheru	Kocher	oven
コラーゲン	korāgen	Kollagen	Collagen
クランケ	kuranke	Kranke	(medical) patient
マイスター	maisutā	Meister	master
マゾヒスト	mazohisuto	Masochist	masochist
メルヘン	meruhen	Märchen	fairy tale
メルヘンティック	meruhenteikku	Märchen	fairy tale-like	This is a Japanese formation from "romantic" and meruhen, not a German word.
メルクマール	merukumāru	Merkmal	characteristic
メッセ	messe	Messe	trade fair
マーゲン	māgen	Magen	stomach
ナチ	nachi	Nazi	Nazi
ニコチン	nikochin	Nikotin	Nicotine
ノイローゼ	noirōze	Neurose	Neurosis
オブラート	oburāto	Oblate	Thin disc of starch used for wrapping sweets or as a medicinal wafer.	May originate from Dutch oblaat. See 4.4. Which Japanese words come from Dutch?.
オナニー	onanī	Onanie	masturbation
オペ	ope	Operation	(surgical) operation
ピッケル	pikkeru		Pickel
ポルターガイスト	porutāgaisuto	Poltergeist
プルス	purusu	Puls	pulse
プードル	pūdoru	Pudel	poodle
ラッセル	rasseru	Rassel	snowplow
レントゲン	rentogen	Röntgen	X-ray
ルンペン	rumpen	Lumpen	freeloader, tramp
リュックサック	ryukkusakku	Rucksack	rucksack
リューマチ	ryūmachi	Rheumatismus	rhematism
リート	rīto	Lied	German song
ローレライ	rōrerai	Lorelei
シャンツェ	shantsue	Schanze	ski jump
シュノーケル	shunōkeru	Schnorchel	snorkel
シュプレッヒコール	shupurehhikōru	Sprechchor	speaking in unison
シュラーフ	shurāfu	Schlafsack	sleeping bag
シャーレ	shāre	Schale	petri dish
スピッツ	supittsu	Spitz	Pomeranian (type of dog)
ストック	sutokku	Stock
トラホーム	torahōmu	Trachom	Trachoma	The English-based term torahooma is now more common.
ツベルクリン	tsuberukurin	Tuberkulin
テーマ	tēma	Thema	topic (of research, etc.)
テーゼ	tēze	These	thesis
ウィンドヤッケ	uindoyakke	Windjacke	anorak
ウルトラー	urutorā	Ultra	ultra
ワクチン	wakuchin	Wakzin	vaccine
ワッペン	wappen	Wappen	badge, name tag
ワセリン	waserin	Vaselin	vaseline
ヨーデル	yōderu	Jodel	yodelling
ヨード	yōdo	Jod	iodine
ヨーグルト	yōguruto	Yoghurt	yoghurt
ザイル	zairu	Seil	climbing
ゼミ・ゼミナール	zemi・zemināru	Seminar	seminar	The word zemi is also used as part of the names of cram schools (juku), such as Yoyogi Zemi or Waseda Zemi.
ゾンデ	zonde	Sonde	probe

Web links

Search WWWJDIC for Japanese words of German origin

References

Daijirin (大辞林) dictionary, second edition, published by Sanseido.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Berthold Frommann for additions to this list. Some of the more specialized words given by Berthold have been removed for the sake of brevity or because they could not be verified; please contact the FAQ maintainer by email to the address below if you would like a fuller list.

sci.lang.japan FAQ / 4. Words from other languages

If you have questions, corrections, or comments, please contact Ben Bullock or use the discussion forum / Privacy


Book reviews	Convert Japanese numbers	Handwritten kanji recognition	Stroke order diagrams	Convert Japanese units	Popup dictionary