Wasei-eigo: False Friends in Japanese

When you live in Japan, from time to time you will encounter words or expressions dropped here and there in casual conversation that might seem familiar, but which you don’t quite understand. These are wasei-eigo (和製英語 — literally “English made in Japan”): pseudo-English words and phrases used in the Japanese language that can actually be quite confusing for native English speakers. Very often wasei-eigo words are based on English loanwords, but have developed novel forms or meanings that are far removed from their origins. They are an interesting example of “false friends”: words in two different languages that look similar, but actually have very different meanings or connotations. It is a good idea to familiarize yourself with some of the most common examples of wasei-eigo, as quite often Japanese people aren’t aware that these aren’t true English words and may even use them in English conversation. Here is a short wasei-eigo list with some of the most common examples:

（Please see below for the rest）
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