English words borrowed and "japanized" by Japanese Language

 

               WORDS IN KATAKANA

 

 

 Foreign words (CD, Stop, DVD ...) that installed in Japanese language are only written in Katakana, Because Katakana syllabic writting system is only used for foreign words (unlike Hiragana and Kanjis which are used to write Japanese words)

Most English words that got borrowed by the Japanese Language got "japanized". How to recognize them and know the meaning ? Let's see!

 

- O and U syllabic letters often are used between two consonnants that follow each other. Japanese people have hard time pronouncing two consonnants in a row. So they add a vowel (mostly O or U) between those two consonnants. Exemple:  France becomes "Furansu". Front become Furonto, etc...

 

-Besides the final consonnant "N", most japanese words end with a vowel. So every english words that end with a consonnant are modified and added a vowel at the end, example:  

Bus = Basu

Ham = Hamu

Cheese = Chizu 

Stop = Sutoppu

 

Speed = Supido  

Credit Card = Kurejitto  Kado

 

- C becomes K (the letter C doesn't exist in Japanese), the L becomes R, V becomes B, F becomes H and Z becomes J.

 

Examples:

 

The word "France". In japanese it is: Furansu. Like said above, Japanese people have hard time pronouncing two consonnants at once so they add a vowel which is mostly U and O , between the two consonnants.That is why France becomes Furansu. U separates the two consonnants.

 

Another exemple: Card turns into Kado

 

Ki is sometimes more used than Ku , Exemple: Cake becomes Keki

 

SPEED will be said as SUPIDO... etc.. 

 

Elevator: Erebeta (V is non-existing in Japanese so they replace with a B)

 

Coffee =  Kohi (le F turns into H) 

 

Bus = Basu

Ham = Hamu

Cheese = Chizu

 Chocolate = Chokoreto

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Some katakana words are shortened. Exemples:

 

Television becomes Terebi 

Supermarket becomes Supa

Sandwich becomes Sando

 

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Some words in katakana come from French language (but it's very rare, it's mostly from English) example:

Jupon becomes Zubon..  "Coup d'état" becomes Kudeta

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Merry Christmas = Meri Kurisumasu

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Koreans also use english words that have been "koreanized"

Exemple:  Konpyuteo (Computer).  Or Merry Christmas: Meri Keuriseumaseu (it is "eu" whereas Japanese use "u" to separate two consonnants). 

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Some words in katakana (come from English, but "Japanized") :

Cocktail : Kakuteru

Front Desk : Furonto

Credit Card: Kurejitto Kado

Check-in = Chekku-in

Flight = Furaito

Tokyo Sky Tree = Tokyo Sukai Tsuri

Convenience Store: Konbini

Stop = Sutoppu

CD = Shi-Di (shee-dee)

Diet : Dai-e-tto

Lemon = Remon

France = Furansu

America = Amerika

Cream = Kurimu

Ice Cream = Aisu Kurimu