Loanwords
Loanwords (外来語, gairaigo) are words borrowed into Japanese from other languages, primarily English. They are adapted to Japanese phonology and writing, often resulting in shortened forms and shifted meanings that can surprise learners.
What Are Loanwords?
Loanwords, or 外来語（がいらいご）, are words that Japanese has adopted from other languages. The term literally means "words from outside." Most loanwords come from English, but there are also many from Portuguese, Dutch, French, German, and other languages. They are written in katakana, one of the three Japanese writing systems, which makes them visually distinct from native Japanese words.
How Words Get Reshaped
When a word enters Japanese, it is reshaped to fit Japanese sounds and syllable structure. Japanese has a limited set of sounds, so some English sounds are replaced with the closest Japanese equivalents. For example, the English "v" becomes "b" (as in バイオリン, baiorin, "violin"), and "th" becomes "s" or "z" (as in サンキュー, sankyū, "thank you").
Vowels are also adjusted. English has many vowel sounds, but Japanese has only five: a, i, u, e, o. So the "a" in "apple" becomes アップル (appuru), and the "i" in "ice" becomes アイス (aisu).
Consonant clusters, which are common in English, are broken up by inserting vowels. For instance, "strike" becomes ストライク (sutoraiku), and "Christmas" becomes クリスマス (kurisumasu).
Words are also often shortened. Japanese prefers two- or four-syllable forms, so long loanwords get clipped. For example, "personal computer" becomes パソコン (pasokon), "remote control" becomes リモコン (rimokon), and "convenience store" becomes コンビニ (konbini). This is a common and productive process.
False Friends: When Meanings Shift
Some loanwords look familiar to English speakers but mean something different in Japanese. These are sometimes called "false friends" or 和製英語（わせいえいご）, meaning "Japanese-made English." Here are a few notable examples:
- マンション (manshon) does not mean a large luxury apartment; it means a condominium or apartment building.
- バイキング (baikingu) means "buffet" or "all-you-can-eat," not Viking.
- サラリーマン (sararīman) means "office worker" or "salaryman," not a person who earns a salary in general.
- スマート (sumāto) means "slim" or "stylish," not "intelligent."
- クレーム (kurēmu) means "complaint," not "claim."
These shifts happen because the words were borrowed in specific contexts or were coined in Japan by combining English roots in ways that may not exist in English.
Historical Layers
Loanwords have entered Japanese in waves. The earliest came from Portuguese in the 16th century, such as パン (pan, "bread") and タバコ (tabako, "tobacco"). Dutch contributed words related to science and trade, like ガラス (garasu, "glass") and コーヒー (kōhī, "coffee"). After the Meiji Restoration (1868), Japanese borrowed heavily from German for medicine (アレルギー, arerugī, "allergy") and from French for the arts (デッサン, dessan, "sketch").
Since World War II, English has been the dominant source, especially for technology, business, and pop culture. The number of loanwords continues to grow, and new ones appear regularly.
How to Learn and Use Loanwords
For learners, loanwords can be a double-edged sword. They are easy to recognize in writing, but their pronunciation and meaning can be tricky. It is helpful to learn the common patterns of sound adaptation and to be aware of false friends. When you encounter a katakana word, try to guess the original English word, but also check its meaning in a dictionary, because it may not be what you expect.
Loanwords are used in everyday conversation, so you will hear them often. They are not limited to technical or foreign contexts. For example, テレビ (terebi, "television"), コーヒー (kōhī, "coffee"), and パソコン (pasokon, "personal computer") are standard vocabulary.
Related Pages
A common misconception is that loanwords are always borrowed from English and keep their original meaning, but many are from other languages and often have shifted meanings.
Questions
Why do Japanese people say マンション for apartment?
The word マンション (manshon) was borrowed from English "mansion" but in Japan it came to mean a condominium or apartment building, not a large house. This is an example of a false friend, where the meaning shifted after borrowing.
How can I tell if a katakana word is a loanword?
Most loanwords are written in katakana, so if you see a word in katakana, it is likely a loanword or a foreign name. However, some native Japanese words are also written in katakana for emphasis, so context matters.
Are loanwords hard to learn?
They can be easy to recognize because they often come from English, but pronunciation and meaning can differ. Learning the sound adaptation rules helps, and you should always check the meaning, as false friends are common.