sci.lang.japan FAQ / 5. Japanese and English

5.4. What are these pseudo English words like salaryman?

Many words written in katakana may seem to be English to Japanese people, but English speakers don't know what they mean: they only exist as pseudo-English Japanese words. This may seem odd, but it is similar to the way that many pseudo-Chinese words have been invented by the Japanese. In the same way that `walkman' is now part of English, many of the Japanese-made Chinese words have been adopted by the Chinese.

In Japan, these words are called wasei eigo. Wasei means `made in Japan', and eigo means English. So wasei eigo (和製英語) means `English made in Japan'. One well-known example of this is `walkman' for portable tape player.

Note also that a lot of Japanese gairaigo words actually come from languages other than English. See 4. Words from other languages. The Japanese have also given new meanings to existing English words. See 5.6. What "false friends" are there between Japanese and English?

Here is a partial list of wasei eigo

"English" Romanized Japanese Katakana Meaning Notes

all back ooru bakku オールバック swept back hair

American coffee amerikan koohii アメリカンコーヒー weak coffee Note that "koohii" is from Dutch (see 4.4. Which Japanese words come from Dutch?).

American dog amerikan doggu アメリカンドッグ corn dog (frankfurter on a stick dipped in batter and deep-fried)

baby car bebii kaa ベビーカー pram/stroller

bed town betto taun
beddo taun ベットタウン
ベッドタウン commuter town

bottle keep botoru kiipu ボトルキープ The practice of buying a bottle of spirits at a bar which is then kept there for the customer

cell motor seru mootaa セルモーター starter motor

consent konsento コンセント electric socket From concentric plug (an old-fashioned form of electrical plug). http://www.jewa.or.jp/qa/receptacle.html#003

cooler kuuraa クーラー air conditioner

cuffs button kafusu botan カフスボタン cuff link

deep kiss diipu kisu ディープキス tongue kiss

doctor stop dokutaa sutoppu ドクターストップ doctor's instructions to slow down

freeter furiitaa フリーター Permanent casual worker May be formed from English "free" and German "arbeiter".

front glass furonto garasu フロントガラス windscreen/windshield

g-pan jii pan ジーパン jeans

game centre geemu sentaa ゲームセンター video game arcade

golden hour goruden awaa ゴルデンアワー `prime time' television

golden week goruden uiiku ゴルデンウイーク First week of May, which contains several national holidays

guardman gaado man ガードマン Security guard

health meter herusu meetaa ヘルスメーター bathroom scales

hello work haroo waaku ハローワーク job centre

high miss hai misu ハイミス spinster

jet coaster jetto koosutaa ジェットコースター roller-coaster

live house raibu hausu ライブハウス bar with live music

love hotel rabu hoteru ラブホテル hourly-rate hotel Used by couples for short stays.

minus driver mainasu doraibaa マイナスドライバー usual (not phillips) screwdriver

miss contest misu kontesuto ミスコンテスト beauty contest

morning service mooninngu saabisu モーニングサービス cheaper than usual breakfast combination

my pace mai peesu マイペース doing things at one's own pace

my car mai kaa マイカー owning one's own car

my home mai hoomu マイホーム owning one's own home

nighter naitaa ナイター nighttime baseball game

one piece wan piisu ワンピース dress

one-pattern wan pataan ワンパターン repetitive

only one ōnrii wan
onrii wan オーンリーワン
オンリーワン unique "Unique" has already been co-opted by the Japanese for the meaning of "unusual" or "original". Hence perhaps the invention of "only one".

pair look pea rukku ペアルック a couple wearing similar clothes

paper driver peepaa doraiba ペーパードライバ person with a driving licence who rarely drives

pipe cut paipu katto パイプカット vasectomy

play guide puree gaido プレーガイド ticket sales office

plus driver purasu doraibaa プラスドライバー phillips screwdriver

push phone pusshu hon
pusshu fon プッシュホン
プッシュフォン touch-tone phone

salaryman sarariman サラリマン male office worker

sharp pencil shaapu penshiru シャープペンシル mechanical pencil Originates from the company "Sharp".

side brake saido bureeki サイドブレーキ handbrake

silver seat shirubaa shiito シルバーシート seat on buses and trains reserved for elderly passengers

skinship sukinshippu スキンシップ close relationship

soap land soopu rando ソープランド brothel

soft cream sofuto kuriimu ソフトクリーム soft ice cream Ice cream from a nozzle, rather than scooped.

speed down supiido daun スピードダウン slow down False formation by analogy from "speed up".

stop the sutoppu za ストップザ stop Often used in slogans where "stop" would be normal in English.

symbol mark sinboru maaku シンボルマーク logo

t-back T bakku t バック thong

table centre teeburu sentaa テーブルセンター centrepiece of a table

table speech teeburu supiichi テーブルスピーチ speeches at parties

three-size surii saizu スリーサイズ Female body measurements (bust, waist, hip)

title back taitoru bakku タイトルバック film credits Seems to be an abbreviation of "title background".

two piece tsuupiisu ツーピース woman's suit

up appu アップ improvement Used in various unlikely combinations such as "healthy up" or "slim up" to mean any kind of improvement.

video deck bideo dekki ビデオデッキ video recorder

viking baikingu バイキング buffet Often used to mean an "all you can eat" buffet.

virgin road baajin roodo バージンロード wedding aisle

white shirt waishatsu ワイシャツ dress shirt

wide show waidoshō ワイドショー `variety' television show

"English"	Romanized Japanese	Katakana	Meaning	Notes
all back	ooru bakku	オールバック	swept back hair
American coffee	amerikan koohii	アメリカンコーヒー	weak coffee	Note that "koohii" is from Dutch (see 4.4. Which Japanese words come from Dutch?).
American dog	amerikan doggu	アメリカンドッグ	corn dog (frankfurter on a stick dipped in batter and deep-fried)
baby car	bebii kaa	ベビーカー	pram/stroller
bed town	betto taun beddo taun	ベットタウンベッドタウン	commuter town
bottle keep	botoru kiipu	ボトルキープ	The practice of buying a bottle of spirits at a bar which is then kept there for the customer
cell motor	seru mootaa	セルモーター	starter motor
consent	konsento	コンセント	electric socket	From concentric plug (an old-fashioned form of electrical plug). http://www.jewa.or.jp/qa/receptacle.html#003
cooler	kuuraa	クーラー	air conditioner
cuffs button	kafusu botan	カフスボタン	cuff link
deep kiss	diipu kisu	ディープキス	tongue kiss
doctor stop	dokutaa sutoppu	ドクターストップ	doctor's instructions to slow down
freeter	furiitaa	フリーター	Permanent casual worker	May be formed from English "free" and German "arbeiter".
front glass	furonto garasu	フロントガラス	windscreen/windshield
g-pan	jii pan	ジーパン	jeans
game centre	geemu sentaa	ゲームセンター	video game arcade
golden hour	goruden awaa	ゴルデンアワー	`prime time' television
golden week	goruden uiiku	ゴルデンウイーク		First week of May, which contains several national holidays
guardman	gaado man	ガードマン	Security guard
health meter	herusu meetaa	ヘルスメーター	bathroom scales
hello work	haroo waaku	ハローワーク	job centre
high miss	hai misu	ハイミス	spinster
jet coaster	jetto koosutaa	ジェットコースター	roller-coaster
live house	raibu hausu	ライブハウス	bar with live music
love hotel	rabu hoteru	ラブホテル	hourly-rate hotel	Used by couples for short stays.
minus driver	mainasu doraibaa	マイナスドライバー	usual (not phillips) screwdriver
miss contest	misu kontesuto	ミスコンテスト	beauty contest
morning service	mooninngu saabisu	モーニングサービス	cheaper than usual breakfast combination
my pace	mai peesu	マイペース	doing things at one's own pace
my car	mai kaa	マイカー	owning one's own car
my home	mai hoomu	マイホーム	owning one's own home
nighter	naitaa	ナイター	nighttime baseball game
one piece	wan piisu	ワンピース	dress
one-pattern	wan pataan	ワンパターン	repetitive
only one	ōnrii wan onrii wan	オーンリーワンオンリーワン	unique	"Unique" has already been co-opted by the Japanese for the meaning of "unusual" or "original". Hence perhaps the invention of "only one".
pair look	pea rukku	ペアルック	a couple wearing similar clothes
paper driver	peepaa doraiba	ペーパードライバ	person with a driving licence who rarely drives
pipe cut	paipu katto	パイプカット	vasectomy
play guide	puree gaido	プレーガイド	ticket sales office
plus driver	purasu doraibaa	プラスドライバー	phillips screwdriver
push phone	pusshu hon pusshu fon	プッシュホンプッシュフォン	touch-tone phone
salaryman	sarariman	サラリマン	male office worker

sharp pencil	shaapu penshiru	シャープペンシル	mechanical pencil	Originates from the company "Sharp".
side brake	saido bureeki	サイドブレーキ	handbrake
silver seat	shirubaa shiito	シルバーシート	seat on buses and trains reserved for elderly passengers
skinship	sukinshippu	スキンシップ	close relationship
soap land	soopu rando	ソープランド	brothel
soft cream	sofuto kuriimu	ソフトクリーム	soft ice cream	Ice cream from a nozzle, rather than scooped.
speed down	supiido daun	スピードダウン	slow down	False formation by analogy from "speed up".
stop the	sutoppu za	ストップザ	stop	Often used in slogans where "stop" would be normal in English.
symbol mark	sinboru maaku	シンボルマーク	logo
t-back	T bakku	t バック	thong
table centre	teeburu sentaa	テーブルセンター	centrepiece of a table
table speech	teeburu supiichi	テーブルスピーチ	speeches at parties
three-size	surii saizu	スリーサイズ		Female body measurements (bust, waist, hip)
title back	taitoru bakku	タイトルバック	film credits	Seems to be an abbreviation of "title background".
two piece	tsuupiisu	ツーピース	woman's suit
up	appu	アップ	improvement	Used in various unlikely combinations such as "healthy up" or "slim up" to mean any kind of improvement.
video deck	bideo dekki	ビデオデッキ	video recorder
viking	baikingu	バイキング	buffet	Often used to mean an "all you can eat" buffet.
virgin road	baajin roodo	バージンロード	wedding aisle
white shirt	waishatsu	ワイシャツ	dress shirt
wide show	waidoshō	ワイドショー	`variety' television show