100 Most Essential Words In Anime

Author: David Soler, The Yale Anime Society

 

 

 

C O M M O N   J A P A N E S E   T E R M S   I N   A N I M E

 

[From the Yale Anime Society Homepage ]

 

 

 

THE 100 MOST ESSENTIAL WORDS IN ANIME

by David Soler

Note: Since I want this to be readable in programs with no formatting ability,

I'm employing a modified romanization system. Instead of putting a diacritical

marking above an "o" to indicate a doubled length, I'll write out "ou." I'm

assuming that readers will be familiar with the standard romanization system. If

not, any pocket Japanese-English dictionary will provide a complete explanation

of Japanese romanization.

 

Disclaimers: This glossary contains my choice of the 100 words which I deem to

be most common and/or essential in anime. Obviously, my opinion is different

from that of others. Students of Japanese should also be cautioned against using

this vocabulary without regard to proper context. To choose an obvious example,

don't attempt curses outside of you close circle of friends. My friend Akihiko

Watanabe has graciously consented to proofread my work. Of course, any errors

which remain are strictly my own.

 

1. abunai- dangerous. The term has a broader application in Japanese than a

direct translation would suggest, being employed in situations where an English

speaker would say "Duck!" or "Look out!" Another common usage is as a euphemism

for "deviant," i.e. a "dangerous" relationship (abunai kankei).

 

2. ai- love. If a native speaker wanted to specify romantic love, he would use

the character pronounced koi (or ren, depending on the context).

 

3. aite- opponent. Be careful, the word has many applications that are

counter-intuitive. A more literal reading of the characters would be "the one

whom I must face." As a result, the word can also refer to one's dancing partner

or the person whom you are addressing in a two-person conversation.

 

4. akuma- Satan, Devil. As with it's English counterparts, this word can be used

figuratively.

 

5. arigatou- Thanks. The full formula is arigatou gozaimasu.

 

6. baka- an all-purpose insult denigrating the subject's intelligence. Depending

on tone of voice and other factors, it can range in severity from "silly" to

"retard." Other similar insults are aho and manuke, although manuke is more

specifically "dolt, buffoon."

 

7. bakemono- monster.

 

8. be-da!- the sound made by Japanese when they perform akanbe, a gesture of

contempt made by sticking out the tongue and bringing down one lower eyelid. The

gesture is analogous to a Bronx cheer or "Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah."

 

9. bijin- a beautiful woman. In terms of frequency and usage, it's best likened

to "babe." However, it's still acceptable in formal speech registers, so is not

inherently disrespectful.

 

10. chigau- a verb meaning "to deviate, be different." In standard Japanese,

it's used to declare that someone is wrong. When shouted as an explanation, it's

meaning is closer to "No way!" or "Don't be ridiculous!/You are SO off-base!"

 

11. chikara- strength, power.

 

12. chikusho- an exclamation of frustration, equivalent to "Damn!" or "Shit!"

Comparable exclamations are kuso (literally "shit") and shimatta.

 

13. chotto- a little. Differs from its English counterpart in that it can only

be used as an adverb. (The adjectival form is chiisai.) When exclaimed, it means

"Hold it!" or "Cut it out!"

 

14. daijoubu- O.K. Most often encountered in anime when one character inquires

as to another's health.

 

15. damaru- be still, silent. Most often found in its imperative form, Damare!,

meaning "Shut up!/Silence!"

 

16. damasu- to deceive. Often encountered in its passive form, damasareru, "to

be tricked."

 

17. dame- bad, no good; no can do. One very common usage is dame desu/dame da,

uttered when refusing permission or indicating that something is a bad idea.

 

18. dare- who. Note that certain particles placed after the word will alter its

meaning, i.e. dareka-someone, anyone daremo-no one daredemo-everyone.

 

19. doko- where.

 

20. fuzakeru- to play games, fool around. It can also be shaded by tone of voice

to assume a harsher meaning, like "bullshitting" or "screw/fuck around."

 

21. gaki- young, immature person. Often translated as "brat" or "punk."

 

22. gambaru- a literal reading of the characters would be "to adhere to

something with tenacity." A very popular term used when encouraging someone is a

difficult task. Some English translations are "Hang in there!," "Don't give

up!," "Do your best!," and "Give it your all!" Note: the verb phrase shikkari

suru has an overlapping meaning, but slightly different connotations.

Apparently, the latter term implies use of innate abilities as opposed to a

conscious act of willpower. The two are generally interchangeable, though. The

command forms of "gambaru" are "gambatte" and "gambare."

 

23. hayai- quick, fast, early. The adverbial form hayaku means "Hurry up!" when

exclaimed.

 

24. hen- strange, weird. In compound noun phrases, it assumes an older meaning

of "change, transformation." One such compound that's especially popular in

anime is henshin, meaning "physical transformation" a la Sailor Moon and

Voltron.

 

25. hentai- although a hen compound, it merits a separate entry. Its classical

meaning is "metamorphosis, transformation." It later came to mean "abnormality,"

and in modern colloquial Japanese is used almost exclusively to mean "pervert"

or "perversion." When a woman insults a man in anime, she generally uses on of

three terms: hentai, sukebe, and etchi. Sukebe implies "oversexed" rather than

"deviant." Etchi can be quite mild in some contexts, comparable to "lewd" or

"Fresh!" These three terms are often used interchangeably, especially when

someone is stringing together insults. Though not as frequent, the word (o-)kama

refers specifically to transvestitism and other gender-bending actions

associated with homosexuality.

 

26. hidoi- severe, harsh. As an exclamation, it means "How terrible!" or "That's

harsh/cold!" A spoken variant is "Hide-e!"

 

27. hime- princess.

 

28. ii- good. An older variant, still current, is yoi. Yoku

is the abverbial form. Yokatta is the familiar past tense. When used as an

exclamation, it can mean "That's great!," but is usually better translated as

"I'm so glad!"

 

29. iku- to go. Common conjugated forms are ikimashou, ikou, (Shall we go?/Let's

go), ike and ikinasai (Go!/Begone!).

 

30. inochi- life. There are a couple of words in Japanese which can be

translated as "life," but inochi is the proper term in the more dramatic

situations common in anime, such as "to stake one's life," "to take a life" and

"more important than life."

 

31. itai- hurt, pain; painful. A common explanation, it's equivalent to "Ouch!"

A frequent spoken variant is Ite-e!

 

32. jigoku- Hell. Hades.

 

33. joshikousei- a female high school student. That's the literal meaning,

anyway. In Japan, it invariably refers specifically to a cute high school girl

in a sailor uniform. That Japanese has such a compact, productive phrase for

this image implies that it's an important archetype in the Japanese psyche.

 

34. kamawanai- regardless of. When uttered as an exclamation, it means "I don't

care!" Kamawan is a more brusque spoken variant.

 

35. kami- God, god. This term can also be applied to any supernatural being with

a specific domain/charge/sphere.

 

36. kanarazu- an adverbial prefix indicating something will happen surely and/or

inevitably. As an exclamation, it means "I swear it!" or "No matter the cost!"

 

37. kareshi- boyfriend. Kanojo is the equivalent word for "girlfriend." Koibito

can be applied to both sexes, but it implies a more serious relationship.

 

38. kawaii- cute. More than a mere adjective, kawaii qualifies as an aesthetic

and an obsession in Japan. A less common, secondary meaning is "cherished,

beloved." Note: kawai sou means "How sad" or "How pitiful." Use caution before

calling someone pitiful-looking, as Kawai is not etymologically related to

Kawaii.

 

39. kedo- but, but still. More formal variants are keredo and keredomo. The

latter form is generally restricted to writing Japanese nowadays.

 

40. kega- wound, injury. It's also possible to use this term to refer to a

spiritual violation or defilement.

 

41. keisatsu- Police.

 

42. ki- this term is used in countless compounds and idioms. Although there are

too many to describe in detail, "ki" is generally used in two senses. One is its

literal meaning of "air." The other is its figurative meaning of "spiritual

essence." Many English speakers know this concept through the Chinese loan word

"chi." One common compound is kimochi, the chi one bears, hence "mood."

 

43. kokoro- heart. Common extensions of this meaning are "sincerity" and

"spirit/willpower."

 

44. korosu- to kill. Often occurring in the passive past tense (korosareta) and

imperative tense (Korose).

 

45. kowai- to be frightful, afraid. The exclamation Kowaii! Can be translated as

either "Scary thought!" or "I'm scared!," depending on the context.

 

46. kuru- to come. It's command form, Koi!, can mean either "Come here!" or

"Come on!"

 

47. mahou- magic, magic spell.

 

48. makaseru- to place one's trust in someone or something, to count on.

 

49. makeru- to lose. The phrase Makeru mon ka! Means "I can't/won't give up!" or

"I'll never give up!"

 

50. mamoru- to protect, guard. The inflected form most commonly found in anime

is mamotte ageru, "I'll protect you."

 

51. masaka- Can it be?; It can't be!, No!

 

52. matsu- to wait. The shouted command "Wait" is "Matte (kudasai)!" or

"Machinasai!" Mate! is an abbreviated form of Matte!

 

 53. mochiron- of course, without a doubt.

 

54. mou- already. As an exclamation of frustration, it means "Enough!" or

"Geez!"

 

55. musume- young woman. As an epithet, ko musume is stronger than a literal

translation of "little girl" would suggest. When used in this sense, "girlie" or

"bitch" come closer to capturing the meaning.

 

56. naka- a word referring to one's relations, both familial and platonic.

Nakayoku suru means "to get along." "Nakama" means "close friend(s)" or "trusted

ally(-ies)."

 

57. nani- what.

 

58. naruhodo- I see.; So.

 

59. nigeru- to flee. Often used in the imperative form, Nigete! or Nigero!, in

which case it's best translated as "Run!" or "Get away!"

 

60. ningen- human; humanity. Refers to mankind as a species, especially when

contrasted with alien races, demons, elves, etc.

 

61. ohayou- abbreviated form of ohayou gozaimasu, "good morning." Men have the

option of using the reduced form ossu in casual speech.

 

62. okoru- to get angry.

 

63. onegai- truncated form of onegai shimasu, "I beg of you," "Please" or

"Pretty please." Without the o- prefix, it means "wish."

 

64. oni- demon, ogre, or any other supernatural life form inimical to mankind.

 

65. Ryoukai!- message received and understood-"Roger!"

 

66. Saa- a noncommittal reply indicating that one has understood a statement and

given it serious thought. Some possible translations are "So!," "Well!," and

"Beats me!" (A good English equivalent might be the British "Innit?")

 

67. sasuga- a person is living up to his reputation or the speaker's personal

expectations. Yahari, on the other hand, refers to situations proceeding as

expected or dreaded. (Yahari is often translated as "I knew it!" when used in

exclamatory mode.) Yappari is a more casual variant of yahari. Other like terms

are aikawarazu, "the same as always," and Sono touri, which means just so when

employed as a response to a question.

 

68. sempai- anyone who is one's senior in a hierarchical organization. The term

cuts across all classes and occupations, and must be translated according to

context.

 

69. shikashi- however, but, nevertheless.

 

70. shikata ga nai- an expression meaning "No help for it," "No way to avoid

it," "Nothing left but to deal with it." Shou ga nai is an abbreviated form.

 

71. shinjiru- to believe in. The inflected form most frequently encountered in

anime is shinjirarenai, "I can't believe it!"

 

72. shinu- to die. The most common inflected forms are Shinda, "Dead.",

Shinanaide!, "Don't die!", and Shi'ne!, "Die!"

 

73. shitsukoi- persistent, relentless, tenacious-at the very least a constant

pain in the ass.

 

74. sugoi- one of three common superlatives that all happen to begin with su-.

The other two are suteki and subarashii. The three are generally

interchangeable. However, sugoi often expresses an admiration for someone else's

power or talent, and may be mixed with a sense of dread. It can straddle the

line between "awesome" and "awful." Suteki is most often applied to physical

appearance. It's used most often by women, but it can be applied to both

genders. Subarashii is more neutral and can be translated as "great." Although

lacking the su- beginning, kakkoi is a superlative used mostly in describing

people-"Cool!" Note: A spoken variant of sugoi is Suge-e!

 

75. suki- affection, liking. Also used to signify "love." If anything, the

phrase "Suki da." is even more ambiguous than the English "I like you."

 

76. suru- to do. A frequently occurring phrase is "Dou shiyou?," meaning "(Oh,)

What shall I do!"

 

77. taihen- when modifying an adjective, it means "extremely." When it describes

a situation without any other adjectives, it means "terrible."

 

78. tasukeru- to aid. The exclamation "Tasukete kure!" = "Help me!/Save me!"

 

79. tatakau- to fight, do battle.

 

80. teki- enemy.

 

81. tomodachi- friend.

 

82. totemo- very, extremely. It can be pronounced tottemo to indicate extra

enthusiasm.

 

83. unmei- fate, destiny.

 

84. uragirimono- traitor.

 

85. ureshii- happy. As an exclamation, Ureshii! Can be translated as "I'm so

happy!" or even "Whee!"

 

86. urusai- noisy. When used as an exclamation, it's best translated as "Be

quiet!" and occasionally "Shut up!" Usse-e! is a spoken variant.

 

87. uso- a lie. As an exclamation, it can mean "You must be kidding!," "You

lie!," or "No way!" Spoken variants are Usso! and Ussou. The word usotsuki means

"liar."

 

88. uwasa- rumor.

 

89. wakaru- to understand. Common inflections are wakatta (understood) and

wakaranai (don't understand). Note that the abbreviated forms of wakaranai are

gender specific, with women favoring wakannai and men likely to say wakaran or

wakanne-e.

 

90. wana- trap, snare.

 

91. yabai- miserable, wretched (situation). As an exclamation, this can be

translated as "This is bad!" or an emphatic "Uh-oh."

 

92. yakusoku- promise, oath.

 

93. yameru- to stop, quit, terminate. The exclamation Yamero! can be translated

as "Stop (it)!" or "Enough!"

 

94. yaru- this verb has several meanings. It's a deferential form of the verb

"to do." It's also a form of the verb "to give" reserved for gifts made to

social inferiors (and plants and animals). Finally, it can mean "to try,

attempt."

 

95. yasashii- although pronounced the same as the Japanese word for "easy," in

anime it's more likely to refer to the character for "splendid, exceptional."

For example, yasashii seikaku means "good-natured" and yasashii hito means "a

great guy."

 

96. yatta- probably originated as the past tense of yaru, but has

long since taken on an independent meaning. Used to proclaim victory or good

fortune. Possible translations include "Hooray!," "Banzai!," "I did it!," and

"Yay!"

 

97. yoshi- an exclamation used when readying oneself to take an important

action. Possible translations include "Here I come!," "All right (,then)!"

Spoken variants are yosshi and yo-oshi!

 

98. youkai- an occult monster. Sometimes used as a general term for occult

phenomena.

 

99. yume- dream.

 

100. yurusu- to forgive, pardon. Forms of this verb commonly found in anime are

O-yurushi kudasai or Yurushite kudasai, meaning "Forgive me!" Even more common

is yurusanai/yurusenai. This phrase can be literally translated as "I

won't/can't forgive you!," but an idiomatic translation generally requires that

attention be paid to the specific circumstances in which the exclamation is

shouted or growled. "I will grant no quarter!" might work in some historical

periods, but "You're finished!" would work better in most contemporary settings.

Other possibilities which work in certain circumstances are "Your day is done!,"

"It's curtains for you!," "You're through!"...you get the idea.

 

 

 A Word on Pronouns:

 

I was going to avoid discussing larger questions of syntax and usage altogether.

Unfortunately, the pronouns a character reveal so much about personality and

background that I feel obligated to try and explain them.

 

This aspect of Japanese is easily lost in translation, since in English they can

only be translated as "I" or "you." I'm including some personal conjectures in

my explanations, so please forgive any errors that may occur.

 

When using the first person, the Japanese speaker can choose among the following

words: watashi, watakushi, atashi, boku, ore, sessha, washi, and atai. This list

is by no means complete, also. All of these terms are translated "I" even though

each word has different connotations.

 

Watashi is polite without indicating deference or formality. Boku is used by

young men (and young women actively emulating male behavior). Ore is even more

overtly masculine, and implies either that a man is speaking among intimates (at

the least that there are no women present) or that he is aggressively macho.

Atashi is strictly feminine speech. Watakushi is an older form of watashi.

 

Today it's considered slightly more formal, and its use indicates that the

speaker is paying conscious attention to decorum. Watakushi is favored by women,

but might also be used by men, especially in the service industry. Sessha is an

older form, and implies courtliness and modesty. Washi is used by older men in

positions of authority. Atai is associated with the lower class.

 

Japanese second-person pronouns include omae, onore, kisama, anata, anta, kimi,

onushi, and temee. In practice, second-person pronouns are usually

avoided-something possible because the Japanese language doesn't demand that the

subject be included in a sentence. There are signs that Japanese teenagers and

young adults are starting to use omae as an all-purpose pronoun analogous to the

English "you." This practice is not entrenched in the language yet, and older

usages still survive, so use omae with caution. Omae is traditionally used in

conversation with someone dear to the speaker, and to many Japanese it is this

romantic connotation that is the truest sense of the word. Finally omae is used

as a familiar form of address, signaling that the speaker is brash, casual , and

doesn't respect convention.

 

This assumption of familiarity can be taken as insulting. Since omae has so many

different (and sometimes clashing) connotations, use it with caution. Kisama is

a masculine form of address which can be openly insulting. It seems that in

anime the brash, defiant hero can use omae while his villainous counterpart will

use kisama to indicate his distaste for the person he is addressing. Onore was

once formal usage, but is now considered rude and offensive. Anata is generally

used when speaking with social inferiors, and can be made insulting by tone of

voice, BUT it also functions as an endearment when a woman uses it to speak with

her husband. Anta is a variant of anata used by women, and is not necessarily

rude. Kimi is male speech, used when speaking to people you have direct

authority over, i.e. a vice-president speaking to the secretary, or a teacher

addressing a student. Kimi is also how a boy refers to his girlfriend. Onushi is

archaic polite usage, and sounds quaint when used in modern speech.

 

Third person is easier because Japanese speech favors using title and/or

surname. Aitsu and yatsu are the two third-person pronouns that come to mind.

Both are extremely casual, and generally slightly insulting. (It appears that

yatsu may be preferred when referring to people outside of one's social class.

An absolutely neutral way of referring to some one else is ano hito, "that

person."

 

Complicating things further is that Japanese speakers actually have a good deal

of flexibility in choosing which pronouns they use. The extreme situations found

in anime also lead to unorthodox usage. When Ranma changes into a woman, do his

speech patterns change?

 

Let's take Pai from 3x3 Eyes as a specific example. In her normal personality,

she refers to herself as "Pai" instead of using a first person pronoun. She may

be mirroring the practice of her race's native language. However, using

first-name instead of a first-person pronoun is common practice in Japan among

children and child-like people. That's why Pai's speech seems natural and

appropriate to a Japanese speaker. Conversely, in her "Sanjiyan" mode, Pai

refers to herself as washi. That's because the Sanjiyan personality is inhumanly

old and powerful. Some less fantastic examples of unorthodox speech include a

male homosexual using feminine speech, and a female juvenile delinquent using

masculine pronouns.

 

Pronouns are an especially complex and frustrating part of the Japanese

language, but they can impart a lot of information in a rapid and subtle

fashion. This versatility in responding to different situations is one of the

Japanese language's defining characteristic, adding much to the richness and

character of its speech.

 

(End of article. I welcome people forwarding this to interested parties, asking

only that the credits be unchanged. Anything else would be unfair to me and my

native informant. Any comments can be addressed to david.soler@yale.edu and

akihiko.watanabe@yale.edu)

 

Copyright 1997 David Soler     Revised 1999 David Soler     Last modified 9/8/99

James Auxier