One idea, three words
Native words feel everyday and warm, kango formal and precise, loanwords modern.
| Meaning | 和語 native | 漢語 Chinese | 外来語 loan |
|---|---|---|---|
| rule | 決まり kimari | 規則 kisoku | ルール rūru |
| speed | 速さ hayasa | 速度 sokudo | スピード supīdo |
| meal | ご飯 gohan | 食事 shokuji | ランチ ranchi (lunch) |
| change | 変わり目 kawarime | 変化 henka | チェンジ chenji |
| beginning | 始め hajime | 開始 kaishi | スタート sutāto |
Japanese-made English
Some katakana words look English but were coined in Japan (和製英語 wasei-eigo). English speakers will not understand them, so learn their real meaning.
Loanwords from other languages
Before English, Portuguese and Dutch traders brought words in the 16th and 17th centuries, and later German and French terms came with medicine, mountaineering and the arts.
Shortened loanwords
Long loanwords are cut down to four morae, often two syllables from each word.
Loanwords with new meanings
Some loanwords mean something different in Japanese.
| Word | Japanese meaning | From |
|---|---|---|
| manshon | block of flats | mansion |
| sumāto | slim | smart |
| tenshon | excitement, energy | tension |
| kurēmu | complaint | claim |
| baikingu | all-you-can-eat buffet | Viking |
Mixed words
Japanese freely mixes native, Chinese and foreign parts in one word.
Check yourself
Try each one, then open the answer to check and hear it.
- smartphone (short loanword)
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sumaho - a block of flats
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manshonNot a mansion. - meal (kango)
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shokuji - meal (native)
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gohan - part-time job (from German)
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arubaito
How the choice changes the tone
The same request feels different with native, Chinese-origin or loan vocabulary.
始めましょうhajimemashōlet’s begin
会議kaigimeetingをo(object)開始しますkaishi shimasucommence
スタートsutātostartしようshiyōlet’s