Japanese is one of the most beautiful languages but a little tough. A bit of persistence and hard work makes it easy to ace the language.
Though Japanese and English and quite different from each other be it in sound, word or grammar, however, certain Japanese words sound like English.
Not many know that there are two types of words in Japanese that have a connection with English.
They are the Loanwords and the Wasei-Eigo words. Japanglish is the name given for mixing the two languages.
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Loanwords Used in Japanese (2025)
Loanwords, also known as 外来語 (gairai-go), are commonly used in modern Japanese.
Japan which has always preferred to be known as an isolated country became open to foreigners in the mid-nineteenth century.
The culture and language were soon influenced by Western cultures and English loanwords gained prevalence during the post-World War II period. Since then, it has continued to evolve.
Loanwords are normally written with カタカナ (Katakana) letters but pronounced and transcribed with Japanese pronunciation rules.
Here are some of the Japanese pronunciation rules followed:
The Japanese consonants usually end with vowels — あ(a), い(i), う(u), え(e), お(o). In Japanese, the L and R sound the same and so L in English is pronounced as R in Japanese mostly.
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Loanwords
Loanwords are more popular among the younger generation while the older population rarely understands it.
Here are some English words with Japanese pronunciation.
English | Japanese | Pronunciation |
Glass | グラス | gurasu |
Fork | フォーク | fōku |
Knife | ナイフ | naifu |
Bus | バス | basu |
Internet | インターネット | intānetto |
Website | ウェブサイト | webusaito |
Hotel | ホテル | hoteru |
Restaurant | レストラン | resutoran |
Elevator | エレベーター | erebētā |
Size | サイズ | saizu |
Table | テーブル | tēburu |
Door | ドア | doa |
Japanglish Wasei-Eigo: English Made in Japan
There are some English words fully integrated into the Japanese language and are known as 和製英語 (Wasei Eigo).
They may be borrowed English words, but their meanings are entirely different from their English counterparts.
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Here are some Wasei Eigo words that will give you an idea about them.
English | Pronunciation | Pronunciation |
Apartment (bigger) | マンション | manshon |
Apartment (smaller) | アパート | apāto |
Makeup | メイク | meiku |
Entertainer | タレント | tarento |
Cheating on an exam | カンニング | kanningu |
Pancake | ホットケーキ | hotto kēki |
Supermarket | スーパー | sūpā |
Do your best! | ファイト! | faito! |
Very excited | ハイテンション | hai tenshon |
Famous Brand Names In Japanese
Here is how the Japanese pronounce Brand names.
English | Japanese | Pronounciation |
グーグル | (Gūguru) | |
Apple | アップル | (Appuru) |
Starbucks | スターバックス | (Sutābakkusu) |
Kentucky Fried Chicken | ケンタッキー フライド チキン | (Kentakkī furaido chikin) |
McDonald’s | マクドナルド | (Makudonarudo) |
Japanese words used in English:
Here are some popular words used in English:
English | Japanese | Pronunciation |
Sushi | 寿司 / すし | Sushi consists of vinegared rice and raw or cooked seafood |
Teriyaki | 照り焼き / てりやき | Teriyaki is a Japanese cooking technique and flavor. |
Tofu | 豆腐 / とうふ | Tofu is bean curd made of soybeans. |
Edamame | 枝豆 / えだまめ | Edamame is a dish of soybeans boiled and salted. |
Sake | 酒 / さけ | Sake is a Japanese Rice Wine. |
Matcha | 抹茶 / まっちゃ | Green tea leaves in powder form. |
Bento | 弁当 / べんとう | Bento is a reusable lunch box. |
Bonsai | 盆栽 / ぼんさい | Bonsai is an art form of planting trees in containers. |
Origami | 折り紙 / おりがみ | Origami is the art of folding papers. |
Emoji | 絵文字 / えもじ | Pronunciation |
Manga | 漫画 / まんが | Manga is Japanese-style comics that are often animated. |
Karaoke | カラオケ | Karaoke is where an amateur sings popular songs with music and lyrics displayed on a video screen. |
Sudoku | 数独 / すうどく | Sudoku is a logic-based number puzzle. |
Tsunami | 津波 / つなみ | A series of huge waves caused by underwater earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions. |
Typhoon | 台風 / たいふう | A Typhoon is a huge tropical cyclone. |
Hope you found this article helpful.