Wasei-eigo

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 (和製) means `made in Japan', (see names of Japan for more about the prefix wa), 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.

Other kinds of gairaigo

Note also that a lot of Japanese gairaigo words actually come from languages other than English. For example teema for "theme" or "topic" comes from German, koohii for "coffee" comes from Dutch, and shabon for "soap" comes from Portuguese.

Table of Wasei-eigo

width=20%|Japanese word (as English) width=20%|Japanese word (as rōmaji) width=20%|Meaning width=40%|Notes
all back ooru bakku swept back hair
American coffee amerikan koohii weak coffee Note "koohii" is from Dutch.
American dog amerikan doggu corn dog (frankfurter on a stick dipped in batter and deep-fried)
baby car bebii kaa pram/stroller
bed town betto taun, beddo taun commuter town
bottle keep botoru kiipu The practice of buying a bottle of spirits at a bar which is then kept there for the customer
cell motor seru mootaa starter motor
consent konsento electric socket May be from concentric plug (an old-fashioned form of electrical plug).
cooler kuuraa air conditioner
cuffs button kafusu botan cuff link
deep kiss diipu kisu french kiss
doctor stop dokutaa sutoppu doctor's instructions to slow down
don't mind donmai ドンマイ Never mind! No worries!.
freeter furiitaa Permanent casual worker May be formed from English "free" and German "arbeiter".
front glass furonto garasu windscreen/windshield
g-pan jii pan jeans
game centre geemu sentaa video game arcade
golden hour goruden awaa `prime time' television
golden week goruden uiiku First week of May, which contains several national holidays
guardman gaado man Security guard
health meter herusu meetaa bathroom scales
hello work haroo waaku job centre
high miss hai misu spinster
jet coaster jetto koosutaa roller-coaster
live house raibu hausu bar with live music
love hotel rabu hoteru hourly-rate hotel Used by couples for short stays.
man man man Used as a suffix with various jobs, such as "guard man" and "salary man".
minus driver mainasu doraibaa usual (not phillips) screwdriver
miss contest misu kontesuto beauty contest
morning service mooninngu saabisu cheaper than usual breakfast combination
my pace mai peesu doing things at one's own pace
my car mai kaa owning one's own car
my home mai hoomu owning one's own home
nighter naitaa nighttime baseball game
one piece wan piisu dress
one-pattern wan pataan repetitive
only one ōnrii wan, onrii wan unique "Unique" has already been co-opted by the Japanese for the meaning of "unusual" or "original". See false friends. Hence perhaps the invention of "only one".
pair look pea rukku a couple wearing similar clothes
paper driver peepaa doraiba person with a driving licence who rarely drives
pierce piasu earrings
pipe cut paipu katto vasectomy
play guide puree gaido ticket sales office
plus driver purasu doraibaa phillips screwdriver
print purinto advertising flyer or handout
push phone pusshu hon, pusshu fon touch-tone phone
salaryman sarariman male office worker
seal shiiru sticker
sharp pencil shaapu penshiru mechanical pencil Originates from the company "Sharp".
side brake saido breeki handbrake
silver seat shirubaa shiito seat on buses and trains reserved for elderly passengers
skinship sukinshippu close relationship
soap land soopu rando brothel
soft cream sofuto kuriimu soft ice cream Ice cream from a nozzle, rather than scooped.
speed down supiido daun slow down False formation by analogy from "speed up".
stop the sutoppu za stop Often used in slogans where "stop" would be normal in English.
symbol mark sinboru maaku logo
t-back T bakku thong
table centre teeburu sentaa centrepiece of a table
table speech teeburu supiichi speeches at parties
three-size surii saizu Female body measurements (bust, waist, hip)
title back taitoru bakku film credits Seems to be an abbreviation of "title background".
trainer toreenaa sweat shirt
two piece tsuupiisu woman's suit
up appu improvement Used in various unlikely combinations such as "healthy up" to mean any kind of improvement.
video deck bideo dekki video recorder
viking baikingu buffet Often used to mean an "all you can eat" buffet.
virgin road baajin roodo wedding aisle
white shirt waishatsu dress shirt
wide show waidoshō `variety' television show

width=20%\|Japanese word (as English)	width=20%\|Japanese word (as rōmaji)	width=20%\|Meaning	width=40%\|Notes
all back	ooru bakku	swept back hair
American coffee	amerikan koohii	weak coffee	Note "koohii" is from Dutch.
American dog	amerikan doggu	corn dog (frankfurter on a stick dipped in batter and deep-fried)
baby car	bebii kaa	pram/stroller
bed town	betto taun, beddo taun	commuter town
bottle keep	botoru kiipu		The practice of buying a bottle of spirits at a bar which is then kept there for the customer
cell motor	seru mootaa	starter motor
consent	konsento	electric socket	May be from concentric plug (an old-fashioned form of electrical plug).
cooler	kuuraa	air conditioner
cuffs button	kafusu botan	cuff link
deep kiss	diipu kisu	french kiss
doctor stop	dokutaa sutoppu	doctor's instructions to slow down
don't mind	donmai	ドンマイ	Never mind! No worries!.
freeter	furiitaa	Permanent casual worker	May be formed from English "free" and German "arbeiter".
front glass	furonto garasu	windscreen/windshield
g-pan	jii pan	jeans
game centre	geemu sentaa	video game arcade
golden hour	goruden awaa	`prime time' television
golden week	goruden uiiku		First week of May, which contains several national holidays
guardman	gaado man	Security guard
health meter	herusu meetaa	bathroom scales
hello work	haroo waaku	job centre
high miss	hai misu	spinster
jet coaster	jetto koosutaa	roller-coaster
live house	raibu hausu	bar with live music
love hotel	rabu hoteru	hourly-rate hotel	Used by couples for short stays.
man	man	man	Used as a suffix with various jobs, such as "guard man" and "salary man".
minus driver	mainasu doraibaa	usual (not phillips) screwdriver
miss contest	misu kontesuto	beauty contest
morning service	mooninngu saabisu	cheaper than usual breakfast combination
my pace	mai peesu	doing things at one's own pace
my car	mai kaa	owning one's own car
my home	mai hoomu	owning one's own home
nighter	naitaa	nighttime baseball game
one piece	wan piisu	dress
one-pattern	wan pataan	repetitive
only one	ōnrii wan, onrii wan	unique	"Unique" has already been co-opted by the Japanese for the meaning of "unusual" or "original". See false friends. Hence perhaps the invention of "only one".
pair look	pea rukku	a couple wearing similar clothes
paper driver	peepaa doraiba	person with a driving licence who rarely drives
pierce	piasu	earrings
pipe cut	paipu katto	vasectomy
play guide	puree gaido	ticket sales office
plus driver	purasu doraibaa	phillips screwdriver
print	purinto	advertising flyer or handout
push phone	pusshu hon, pusshu fon	touch-tone phone
salaryman	sarariman	male office worker
seal	shiiru	sticker
sharp pencil	shaapu penshiru	mechanical pencil	Originates from the company "Sharp".
side brake	saido breeki	handbrake
silver seat	shirubaa shiito	seat on buses and trains reserved for elderly passengers
skinship	sukinshippu	close relationship
soap land	soopu rando	brothel
soft cream	sofuto kuriimu	soft ice cream	Ice cream from a nozzle, rather than scooped.
speed down	supiido daun	slow down	False formation by analogy from "speed up".
stop the	sutoppu za	stop	Often used in slogans where "stop" would be normal in English.
symbol mark	sinboru maaku	logo
t-back	T bakku	thong
table centre	teeburu sentaa	centrepiece of a table
table speech	teeburu supiichi	speeches at parties
three-size	surii saizu		Female body measurements (bust, waist, hip)
title back	taitoru bakku	film credits	Seems to be an abbreviation of "title background".
trainer	toreenaa	sweat shirt
two piece	tsuupiisu	woman's suit
up	appu	improvement	Used in various unlikely combinations such as "healthy up" to mean any kind of improvement.
video deck	bideo dekki	video recorder
viking	baikingu	buffet	Often used to mean an "all you can eat" buffet.
virgin road	baajin roodo	wedding aisle
white shirt	waishatsu	dress shirt
wide show	waidoshō	`variety' television show