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Author: Dmitriy Krotman
Updated: Every 3 months Last Updated: 1/18/05 |
Methods of Address: Japanese names are in the opposite order of English names. The Japanese give their family name first, and then their given name. Currently, when Japanese learn English in school they are taught to reverse the traditional Japanese order of their names.A proposed change in junior high school curriculum could change this, teaching some students to preserve the Japanese name order even when in Western nations. This means that you have to be careful when meeting a Japanese person for the first time and make sure you understand which name is the given name and which is the family name.
What do I call you?The Japanese are more formal about names than Americans. They regularly refer to each other by family names. Only close friends would use given names. The use of given names depends not only on the relationship between the speakers, but it also depends on the current situation they're in. In a workplace situation close friends might still use family names to address one another, where they would automatically use their given names in other situations. Most Japanese understand that Westerners have different naming conventions and they should not be offended if you use their given name as a form of address.
Suffix Meaning-san The usual suffix between aquaintances, adults, and colleagues. This is usually translated as "Mr.", "Mrs.", "Ms.", and "Miss". It can be used with titles as well as names, like keiji-san, or "Mr. Policeman". -chan This is used when speaking of small children and animals, or between close childhood friends or family members. It can easily be disrespectful and overly familiar if used with the name of a superior or minor aquaintance. -sama This is a respectful suffix. It's often translated as the title "Lord" or "Mistress". The Japanese word for god, "kami-sama" uses this suffix. -chama "-chan" is a modified form of "-san", and "-chama" is the same sort of modification of "-sama", for someone that deserves respect but you are very familiar with them, and they are young or you have raised them from youth. -kun This is used most often for teenage boys, but men in the workplace also use this suffix. -sensei This suffix has the same meaning as the word sensei, placed after the name of a doctor, lawyer, teacher, or professor. -dono / -tono it is very uncommon.
Addressing People:In America people will politely address strangers as "Sir" or "Ma'am". There are many different ways of addressing strangers in Japan. You can address people by their job, simply adding a "-san" to the end.Children can also address strangers using family names. A child would call a middle aged lady "oba-san" (aunt), or a young man "onii-san" (older brother), even though the childdoesn't know the person. "You" and "I" can become confusing in Japanese. There are different ways to say both, and the word you chose depends on social status, the length and depth of the aquaintance between the speakers, and the situation the speakers are currently in. Words for "you" are usually respectful, while words for "I" are humble. Words that get translated as swears in English are non-respectful words for "you" in Japanese, but saying "I" may sound proud and boastful. There are many aspects of this that are used in character design in anime, and it often doesn't translate very well into English. This is another reason that watching subtitled anime with a reasonable understanding of basic Japanese can be so much more rewarding than watching dubbed anime.
Meanings of some Japanese words:Aa- "say," "well," "oh," "er," "ah." Ai shiteru-"To know love" or a deep love, life-mate, etc. Anata-"You" (familiar), often used in songs. Anime -Short for Japanese Animation, well-respected in Japan and is often based on manga. In the US it is a $60 million industry, and has character development, plot, and theme. Anou-"Say," "well," "er." Ashita-"Tomorrow" Baka-"Idiot" or "fool", as in "Duo no baka" or "idiot Duo." (I don't think Duo is a baka, btw.) Biseinen-"Beautiful man" or a person who is an adult. I think of it as 19 or older. Bishoujo-"Beautiful girl" 18 or younger. Bishounen-"Beautiful boy" 18 or younger. Ch'-A vulgar expletive. -chan-"Usagi-chan" used for chibis, kids, or among schools girls. Guys do not use it. Chibi-"Little" or one of the 'kawaii' forms of anime. The characters are drawn child-like, and they become less real looking (see also: Super Deformed). Chigau-To differ from, as in "That's not it." Choho- "Reckless," or "foolhardy." Con- Short for Convention. Anime fans gather together to buy anime stuff, watch movies, dress up, and trade with each other. Daijoubu- "Safe," "alright," "OK," as in "Daijoubu desu ka? Ah. Daijoubu." ("Are you alright? Yes, I'm fine.") or "Daijoubu ka, minna-san?" ("Are you alright, everybody?") Dare da- "Who" Demo- "But" Doujinshi- Manga drawn by amateurs of established manga. Some famous manga artists started out as dj artists. Dub- An anime with the dialouge translated into another language. Ecchi- "Pervert!" or "perverted." It's usually said by a girl if a guy walks in while she's changing, or something similar. Fansub/Fandub- Fan made copies of anime, where fans are doing the voices, or translating the text. Fansubs are easier to do than fandubs, and therefore are done more often. Fanfic- Short for fanfiction, or stories done about the characters of a particular series by amateur writers. Gomen- "Your pardon," or "I'm sorry." Hai- "Yes" Hentai- "Abnormal" or "pervert." It is stronger than ecchi, and also refers to the x-rated genre. Hidoi- "Cruel" or "Terrible" Hiragana- One of the Japanese alphabets, and is taught first, before Kanji. Iie- "No" Irasshaimase- "Welcome" Itai- "Painful", but used as slang "Ouch!" Itsumo- "Always" Jaa- Slang term for good-bye. "Jaa ne!" Kanji- The main Japanese alphabet. Each character stands for a word or part of one. Kanryou- "complete" as in "Ninma Kanryou", or"Mission Complete". Katakana- One of the Japanese alphabets, and taught first, before Kanji. Kawaii- "Cute" Kisama- "You" (vulgar) Kitsune- "Fox" Kittov- "Surely" Kodomo- "Children," Koi- The shorter version of koibito, also a kind of fish. Koibito- "lover" or "sweetheart." Koneko- "Kitten" Kuso/K'so- Expletive (vulgar) Manga- Japanese comic books, read by billions. Often are black and white, and are realeased monthly. The main genres are: shoujo, shounen, hentai, seinen, and kodomo. Mangaka- One who draws manga. Masakav- "Never" Mecha- 1. A giant mechanical robot, usually piloted, and human in shape. 2. Can also refer to, in a general sense, to any cool piece of machinery. 3. In the most general sense, it can refer to the genre of anime that features giant robots. Nanda- "what is it" Nani- "what" Ne- An add-on term that demands agreement Nekov- "Cat" Ninma- "Mission" No- Possessive Particle O- "At," "is,", "on." OAV/OVA- "Original Animated Video/Original Video Animation." Refers to anime that was released directly to video. Ohayo- "Good Morning" Omae- "You" Onna- "Woman" Otaku- This is a slang term for hard-core anime fans. The Japanese see an otaku in about the same way as we see a fanboy. In the US, though, otaku is not a negative thing. Pocky- A snack food. It's a pretzel or something dipped in chocolate, strawberry or other flavors of fudge. Raw- Viewing an anime without dubbing or subbing, but in the original Japanese. Romanji- Japanese words spelled phonetically in Roman letters (English). There are three different official spellings (eg: Goku, Gokou, or Gokuu for the lead character in Dragonball Z) but they are all pronounce the same. Ryoukai- "accepted" or "acknowledged" as in "Ninma ryoukai" (Mission Accepted) -san- Honorific, denotes respect. Often used for people older than -kun or -chan. -sama- Ultra-honorific. Seiyuu- A Japanese voice actor/actress. Considered equally talented as their live-action counterparts, and most have talents such as singing. Most fans have favorites, and like to identify their voices from show to show. Seinen- Manga directed at 19-25 year-olds. More mature and graphic than shounen manga. It can also mean the adult (hentai) genre. Senshi- "Soldier" Shimatta-"Damn" Shoujo- Manga directed at young females. Mostly about drama and romance, and are enjoyed by both males and females. Shounen- Manga directed at young males. Mostly about action and adventure stories, and is also enjoyed by both males and females. Shounen-ai- "Boy's love" The lighter genre of yaoi. Shounen-ai is more plot driven, and sex doesn't usually take place within the story. Sub- Subtitled anime title. Translated captions are shown at the bottom of the screen, while the characters talk in Japanese. Sugoi- "Amazing" or "wonderful" Suki da- "I care about you," or "love you." Sumimasen- "I'm sorry", or "Excuse me" Uso- "Impossible," "It can't be," "never," "I can't believe it." Yamete- "stop" more polite. Yamero- "stop" rougher, not so polite. Yaoi- The term used to describe male/male fanfiction. The term comes from: "YAma nashi, Ochi nashi, Imi nashi," or "No climax, no point, no meaning." It's called this because typically the stories center around sex, and the plot isn't developed as much, though this isn't always true. Yuri- The term used to describe female/female fanfiction. Zutto- "forever"
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