What do you think if I tell you I live in a mansion? Do you think I live in a big house like a castle? Actually, it has a different meaning in Japanese from the original English. We have some words and proverbs that sound the same as English expressions but are not. Let us tell you about these now.
First, we will talk about five katakana words which have different meanings from original English words. As I said, a mansion means a big house like a castle in English, but it means just an apartment or a condominium in Japanese. It’s interesting, isn’t it? Many Japanese people don’t know it, but neither do Americans. If Japanese students who study in America say “I live in a mansion”, Americans, such as a host family or their friends are surprised. When they see the picture of their house, they will be confused because it’s not a mansion but an apartment or a condominium. Also, what do you think if I say “I feel high tension”? You may think I’m too nervous about something because it means a nervous worried feeling in English, but high tension is thought as high spirits. High tension is negative in English but positive in Japanese. Next, what do you think if I say “you are smart”? Smart means intelligent in English, but in Japan it is slender. Both are positive meanings but quite different meanings. Next, what do you think if I say “I go to Viking?” Does is make sense? Viking means the pirates of Scandinavia in English, but it is used as a buffet in Japanese. It’s a big difference. Finally, what do you think if I say “I want to claim.”? To claim means to state that something is true in English but it is used as “complaining” in Japanese. It is positive in English, but negative in Japanese.
Although American people and Japanese people use some same words, these are sometimes used as different meanings. That Japanese people use some katakana words from English shows that American language or culture prevails in Japan. However, while these words are used, the meanings become different meanings to be more suitable for Japanese. It is very interesting to find same words in Japanese as English. Moreover, it is more interesting to find katakana words which have different meanings from English. These could be the chance or motive to communicate or discuss between American people and Japanese people.
We also have three proverbs which are similar in Japanese and English. The first one is “pull someone’s leg”. We have the same expression in Japan, but their meaning is completely different. In English, it means “tease someone” but in Japanese, it means “disturb someone”. Even though their words are the same, each country has different meanings.
On the other hand, there is another expression like this, but this time, their meanings are the same, but the expressions are different. Do you know the English proverb “A penny saved is a penny earned.”? It means the person who saved money little by little will have the large amount of money in the future. Actually, we have a proverb like this in Japan. It’s “CHIRI MO TSUMOREBA YAMATONARU.” The first word, CHIRI means dust and TSUMORU means pile up, and YAMA means mountain, so it means if the little tiny things like dust piled up, they will make a big mountain. We often use this expression for saving money, but we don’t use the word “yen” like penny. It’s a very interesting difference between English and Japanese.
Additionally, we have one more proverb like “penny saved”. It’s “The early bird catches the worm.” It means the person who woke up early will have something good. And we say “HAYAOKI HA SANNMONNNOTOKU” in Japanese. HAYAOKI means getting up early, and SANN is three. And this time, MONN means money in Japan many years ago. How interesting it is! This time, Japanese proverb has the word of money. So, talking about getting money is the simple way to mean having good things in many countries.
In conclusion, we have many similar ideas to express ourselves in America and Japan, but because of the culture difference between America and Japan, their meanings or expressions sometimes became different through many years. People who haven’t learned these differences yet will be confused by them, but to know about them is interesting, isn’t it? Wherever we live, we can share the same ideas through our own words. And through words, we can know about other countries’ culture at last.
First, we will talk about five katakana words which have different meanings from original English words. As I said, a mansion means a big house like a castle in English, but it means just an apartment or a condominium in Japanese. It’s interesting, isn’t it? Many Japanese people don’t know it, but neither do Americans. If Japanese students who study in America say “I live in a mansion”, Americans, such as a host family or their friends are surprised. When they see the picture of their house, they will be confused because it’s not a mansion but an apartment or a condominium. Also, what do you think if I say “I feel high tension”? You may think I’m too nervous about something because it means a nervous worried feeling in English, but high tension is thought as high spirits. High tension is negative in English but positive in Japanese. Next, what do you think if I say “you are smart”? Smart means intelligent in English, but in Japan it is slender. Both are positive meanings but quite different meanings. Next, what do you think if I say “I go to Viking?” Does is make sense? Viking means the pirates of Scandinavia in English, but it is used as a buffet in Japanese. It’s a big difference. Finally, what do you think if I say “I want to claim.”? To claim means to state that something is true in English but it is used as “complaining” in Japanese. It is positive in English, but negative in Japanese.
Although American people and Japanese people use some same words, these are sometimes used as different meanings. That Japanese people use some katakana words from English shows that American language or culture prevails in Japan. However, while these words are used, the meanings become different meanings to be more suitable for Japanese. It is very interesting to find same words in Japanese as English. Moreover, it is more interesting to find katakana words which have different meanings from English. These could be the chance or motive to communicate or discuss between American people and Japanese people.
We also have three proverbs which are similar in Japanese and English. The first one is “pull someone’s leg”. We have the same expression in Japan, but their meaning is completely different. In English, it means “tease someone” but in Japanese, it means “disturb someone”. Even though their words are the same, each country has different meanings.
On the other hand, there is another expression like this, but this time, their meanings are the same, but the expressions are different. Do you know the English proverb “A penny saved is a penny earned.”? It means the person who saved money little by little will have the large amount of money in the future. Actually, we have a proverb like this in Japan. It’s “CHIRI MO TSUMOREBA YAMATONARU.” The first word, CHIRI means dust and TSUMORU means pile up, and YAMA means mountain, so it means if the little tiny things like dust piled up, they will make a big mountain. We often use this expression for saving money, but we don’t use the word “yen” like penny. It’s a very interesting difference between English and Japanese.
Additionally, we have one more proverb like “penny saved”. It’s “The early bird catches the worm.” It means the person who woke up early will have something good. And we say “HAYAOKI HA SANNMONNNOTOKU” in Japanese. HAYAOKI means getting up early, and SANN is three. And this time, MONN means money in Japan many years ago. How interesting it is! This time, Japanese proverb has the word of money. So, talking about getting money is the simple way to mean having good things in many countries.
In conclusion, we have many similar ideas to express ourselves in America and Japan, but because of the culture difference between America and Japan, their meanings or expressions sometimes became different through many years. People who haven’t learned these differences yet will be confused by them, but to know about them is interesting, isn’t it? Wherever we live, we can share the same ideas through our own words. And through words, we can know about other countries’ culture at last.