Master Japanese Transliteration! #2 Flashcards
How do you say/ write this word in Japanese?
“bread”
from Portuguese “pão”
Portuguese is one of the most influential sources for imported words in Japan; Portuguese language and culture were brought to Japan with Christianity by Francisco de Xavier in 1549.
パン
pan
How do you say/ write this word in Japanese?
“remote controller”
“remote controller”… get it?
リモコン
rimokon
How do you say/ write this word in Japanese?
“playing cards”
from “trump”
This is one of the many “misunderstandings” Japanese made as they imported new concepts and words; when they first encountered with playing cards and hearing the word “trump”, they thought that must have been what those cards were called.
トランプ
toranpu
How do you say/ write this word in Japanese?
“turn signal”
from “winker”
ウインカー
uinka-
Note: “ー” indicates a long vowel.
e.g., カー “kaー” = “kaa”
How do you say/ write this word in Japanese?
“part-time job”
from German “arbeit (=work. labor)”
アルバイト
arubaito
How do you say/ write this word in Japanese?
“questionnaire”
from French “enquête (=survey)”
アンケート
anke-to
How do you say/ write this word in Japanese?
“stapler”
from an American engineer Benjamin B. Hotchkiss, who developed a revolving barrel machine gun known as the Hotchkiss gun; also the first stapler was invented by E. H. Hotchkiss Co.
ホッチキス
hocchikisu
Note: Small ッ indicates a skipping sound. In Romaji, it is indicated by double consonants.
e.g., クッキー cookie “kukki-“
フットボール football “futtobo-ru”
How do you say/ write this word in Japanese?
“plastic tape”
from “cellophane tape”
セロハンテープ
serohante-pu
How do you say/ write this word in Japanese?
“cream puffs”
from French “chou/ choux (=”cabbage”, and also “cream puff”) “ and English “cream”
シュークリーム
shu-kuri-mu
How do you say/ write this word in Japanese?
“french fries”
from “fried potato”!
フライドポテト
furaidopoteto
How do you say/ write this word in Japanese?
“mechanical pencil”
The original form of this word is “シャープペンシル (sharp pencil: a made-up word with English reference)”. We Japanese LOVE to shorten “imported” words, and this was not an exception!
シャーペン
sha-pen
