和製英語："Japanese-made English"

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Hello everyone! Before going to Japan, I knew there were some interesting words in katakana (read more about katakana here: https://thenihongoninja.blogspot.com/2019/04/writing.html), but there are some that are very interesting- especially those that come from English but have completely different meanings. It was a bit awkward when my host family asked if I needed their "consent", but that's just an example of an interesting change- it really means "electrical outlet", from "concentric plug"- not that we use that word in English often.
What are 和製英語 (wasei-eigo), and what are some examples?

Japanese-made English「和製英語」

What is 和製英語？

“Japanese-made English” or “English words coined in Japan”, wasei-eigo are expressions used in the Japanese Language that are based off of English words or word combinations, but don’t necessarily make sense in English. Some terms are recognizable as English, but others may be English word combinations that don’t make sense to English natives or words that simply mean something different in Japanese despite having the same pronunciation. There's also 外来語 (gai-raigo), which apply to all "borrowed words" from all languages.

和製英語 Examples

ポケモン (Pokemon)- although we recognize "Pokemon" as a brand in English today, it originated from "Pocket monsters".

アニメ (Anime)- another word we recognize in English, but "anime" means any "animation"- and animated cartoons or films. 

テレビゲーム (Terebi geemu)- because "r" is the equivalent of "l" and "b" is the equivalent of "v" in Japanese, "Television" is pronounced "Terebijon". However, it's often shortened to "Terebi" (like how we shorten Television to TV), and in this case, the word "game" as added. A "TV game", or a game you play on your TV- video games.

アイス (Aisu)- ice? This means ice cream- shortened from the full アイスクリーム (aisu kuriimu). Because the Japanese language has their own word for "ice" (氷、koori), this shortening isn't confusing for them at all- but calling ice cream just "ice" would feel a bit weird in English.

ベビーカー (Bebii kaa)- "baby car", or a car for your baby- a stroller.

バイク (Baiku)- it sounds like you're just saying "bike", but similar to アイス (aisu), this one's more specific than that- saying "bike" in Japanese really means "motorbike" or "motorcycle", as they use the word 自転車 (jitensha) for regular bicycles.

コンビニ (konbini)- similar to テレビ (terebi) from earlier, this is a shortening of the word "convenience store".

ジェットコースター (jetto koosutaa)- a "jet coaster" is a "roller coaster" in Japanese. 

アパート (apaato)- "apart" is short for "apartment".

サービス (saabisu)- translating to "service", a "service" is used to describe something free of charge- "part of the service" that you're receiving.

ヘルスメーター (herusu meetaa)- translating to "health meter", this word means "scale"- because it's a meter of your health, in terms of body weight.

カンニング (kanningu)- the word "cunning" actually means "cheating"- which makes sense, because you generally have to be cunning to cheat successfully, but it's interesting having an adjective in English be treated as a noun in Japanese.

コンセント (konsento)- don't be afraid if someone asks for your "consent" while you're in Japan- it just means they want your "concentric plug", or power outlet.

マンション (manshon)- kinda the opposite of what it means in English- if someone lives in a "mansion", they actually live in an apartment/condominium block.

タレント (tarento)- a celebrity who is a TV talent- not famous for any skill, but they appear on TV very often.

バイキング (baikingu)- if your Japanese friend says they're planning to go to a "viking", don't be alarmed! "Viking" actually means "buffet" in Japanese. They got the concept of a smorgasbord from Sweden, but that word was a bit hard to pronounce- so they just went with "viking", since all swedes are Vikings, I guess. 😉'

What's your favorite 和製英語 word? What's the one you think is craziest? Let me know in the comments below! 

Pages consulted:
https://expatsguide.jp/articles/culture/lost-in-translation-wasei-eigo/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_gairaigo_and_wasei-eigo_terms
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasei-eigo



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