MelissaA
Brenton
Shilpa Karhik
Fun With Japanese Words
August 23rd 2007 14:18
Japanese words are often made of Kanji - letters that symbolize an entire word. This means that we get some fairly interesting literal translations of words...
Tsunami - There was no need to mess around with this one - it means Big Wave. Simple.
Kamikaze - Not Zoom Kaboom as you might think - Kamikaze literally translates as Wind of God. Love those military euphemisms hey?
The word for Milky Way Galaxy is Ginka. Literally Silver River. Isn't that nice?
If you are good at something you are Jyozu. This is literally Up Hand - you have the upper hand. Although if you're like me at piano, you're Heta - bad at. This is Down Hand - the lower hand.
If something is Vulgar it is Geihin. Literally Lower Goods - I think a lot of people would say that Big Brother is about as Low as the Goods come.
What do you think Earth Down Metal is? A Subway
Love that lateral thinking.
Migoto is something Splendid. It means an Eye Thing. For example, all straight Australian Males consider Jennifer Hawkins a real 'Eye Thing'.
Talking about things - food is an Eating Thing, drinks are Drinking Things and a job is a Doing Thing. I guess that says it pretty simply hey?
Population is Jinko - Man Mouth. I'm not even going to pretend like this makes a lot of sense.
Finally my favorite - can you guess the literal meaning of Neko Irazu - It's Japanese for Rat Poison. Give it a guess.
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....Neko is Cat - Irazu is 'Don't Need'. So if you're using Rat Poison to keep the vermin out - You don't need a cat!
Sometimes English seems kind of unexciting hey?
Tsunami - There was no need to mess around with this one - it means Big Wave. Simple.
Kamikaze - Not Zoom Kaboom as you might think - Kamikaze literally translates as Wind of God. Love those military euphemisms hey?
The word for Milky Way Galaxy is Ginka. Literally Silver River. Isn't that nice?
If you are good at something you are Jyozu. This is literally Up Hand - you have the upper hand. Although if you're like me at piano, you're Heta - bad at. This is Down Hand - the lower hand.
If something is Vulgar it is Geihin. Literally Lower Goods - I think a lot of people would say that Big Brother is about as Low as the Goods come.
What do you think Earth Down Metal is? A Subway
Love that lateral thinking.Migoto is something Splendid. It means an Eye Thing. For example, all straight Australian Males consider Jennifer Hawkins a real 'Eye Thing'.
Talking about things - food is an Eating Thing, drinks are Drinking Things and a job is a Doing Thing. I guess that says it pretty simply hey?
Population is Jinko - Man Mouth. I'm not even going to pretend like this makes a lot of sense.
Finally my favorite - can you guess the literal meaning of Neko Irazu - It's Japanese for Rat Poison. Give it a guess.
...
...
....
....
....
.....
....Neko is Cat - Irazu is 'Don't Need'. So if you're using Rat Poison to keep the vermin out - You don't need a cat!
Sometimes English seems kind of unexciting hey?
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Comment by Nickoftime's Sanity Corner
gotta love that literal translation eh? Some of them make such perfect sense!
Good read..
Take care,
Nick
Comment by Brenton
Dr Spin
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Thnask for dropping by.
Comment by Wynona Lavota
Generation Y Life
Comment by MelissaA
Fun Facts
Comment by Brenton
Dr Spin
Tales From The Other Side
Blip Blog
Gadget Museum
Comment by >bekka<
i like simple, but exiting is life!!!
Comment by furrykef
A pretty good list, though. I learned a couple of new words.
Comment by furrykef
Comment by furrykef