J-dict

UPDATED: November 2008

Actually I cannot speak Japanese. However, as my interest towards Anime and Dorama is growing rapidly..inevitably I learn some Japanese words by accident.These are some terms that you may hear or appear a lot in Doramas and their subtitle. Sorry still a lot of mess and not organized (-__-)

Some words may be missplelled but I think the pronunciations are similar tips: (to ease finding the word please use ctrl+f (finding function shortcut)):

If the word that you’re looking for is not here..here are some links that I find quite handy
Eng-Jap
Jap-Eng
Eng-Jap (kanji)
Jap (kanji)-Eng

Family terms

• Kazoku: family
• Oya: parents (however oya-san can also mean owner-san)
• Otou-san; oya-ji: daddy　父
• Oka-san : mommy　母
• Onii-chan/-san; aniki; ani-ue: big brother　兄　（read: ani)
• Onee-chan/-san; ane; ane-ue: big sister　姉 (read:onee)
  
• Otouto: younger brother　弟
• Imouto: younger sister　妹
• Oba-san/ba-chan: could be grandma/aunt/ or middle-age lady
• Ojii-san/-chan;jii-chan: could mean grandpa/uncle/ or middle-age man
• Itoko : cousin

Addressing person(s):

• Otoko: boy/male/man 男
• kare(shi): he, could also mean boyfriend (moto kare–ex boyfriend)
• bishounen/ikimen: pretty boy(s)/handsome boy(s)
  
• bo-chama: young master
• ojii/ojii-sama: prince
• Oo-sama: king

• Onna: girl/female/woman 女
• kano(jo): she or girlfriend (moto-kano–ex girlfriend)
• bishoujo: beautiful girl(s)
• ojou-san/-sama: young miss
• hime-sama: princess
• Joou-sama: queen　女王　(read: jo-ou)
• kodomo; gakki; bouya: kid　子ども　(kodomo)

Professions/trends/hobbies

• (ar)baito: part-time job (taken from foreign language, in Dutch or in Swedish arbeid also means to work)
• shigoto: job/profession
• gankuro/ganguro: girls with heavy dark make-up
• keisatsu: police
• kajou; kachou: manageｒ
• kantoku: coach
• tantei: detective
• okama: lady-boy (man dressed as a woman) who works as a host in the club
• otaku: anime and manga (Japanese comic) maniac
• sensei: teacher, elder, or doctor
• senpai: upper-classman

Bad terminologies for persons:

• uragirimono: betrayer
• han-nin: the suspect
• torobo: theft, robber
• kira: killer
• hentai/sukebe: pervert

Events:

• Chanoyu: Japanese traditional tea ceremony
• Goukon/gokon: arranged blind date of two groups single from different sexes
• Hana-bi: formed from kanji flower and fire which means fireworks
• Hanami: cherry blossom (sakura) festival or literally means flower viewing
• Hina-matsuri: festival for daughters/young girl, held on March 3rd
• Kekkon-shiki: wedding reception/ceremony
• Matsuri: festival
• Omiyai: Arranged introduction meeting for matchmaking objective.
• Tango no Sekku (kodomo no hi): the opposite of hinamatsuri, it is originally a celebration for boys. Usually families who have son(s) hang “koinobori–koi or carp fish” kites in front of their house

Food

Cake category:

• Anko: Japanese bread with sweet red bean paste inside



• Daifuku: sticky bread with red bean filling



• Dango : (usually) to address various sticky traditional Japanese sweets
• Dorayaki : Doraemon’s favourite
• Hiyoko : Japanese sweet cake with chick or little chicken form (it does also mean chick if you do googling).

• Ichigo daifuku: daifuku with strawberry filling
• Meron pan: Melon bread



• Mochi/manju: moon cake (there is a story about two rabbits making mochi on the moon)
• Okonomiyaki: pan-fried batter (mix of eggs flour and other ingredients) cake
• Taiyaki : that fish shape bread with red bean filling
• Takoyaki: octopus bread
• Yakisoba pan: bread with fried noodle filling

Noodles

• Ramen: Japanese noodle in soup usually eaten with meats and veggies.
• Soba: usually it is also known as cold noodle
• Udon: big noodle
• Yakisoba: fried noodle

Meats

• Yakiniku: beef
• Yakitori: chicken satay
• Beef/Chicken/Ton (pork)–katsu
• Tempura: fried flour shrimp
• etc.

Common food terms

• Onigiri: rice formed into triangle or oval shape
• Sushi: Japanese favorite snacks made from sticky rice wrapped with nori (sea weed) and use fish and wasabi as the toppings.
• (O)bentou: usually translated as meal in the lunch box
• Gohan : meal–when it is combined with other words: asa-gohan: breakfast, hiru-gohan: lunch, ban-gohan: dinner
• Niku : meat
• Tamago: egg
• Sakana : fish
• Wakame: sea weed
  
• Yasai : vegetables

Rice cuisines

• Omurice
• Hayashi Rice
• Karei Rice

Beverages/drinks

• Biiru: beer
• Kocha: English/black tea
• Kohii: coffee
• Ju-su: juice
• Mizu: water
• Miruku;nyuujuu: milk
• Ocha: green tea; Japanese tea

Places/buildings

• Basho: place
• Byouin: hospital
• Daigaku: university
• Depato: department store
• Ee-ki: train station
• Gakko: school
• Ginza: big market center in Tokyo
• Heya: room, chamber
• Hoteru: hotel
• Kaisha: company; workplace
• Konbi: convinience store
• Kouen: park
• Kuni: country/nation
• Kuukou: airport
• Kyokai: church
• Machi: city
• Mori: woods/forest
• Onsen: hot spring
• Suu-pa: supermarket
• Uchi: house (but “uchi no Kei-kun” means Kei from our family)
  
• Umi: sea
• Yama: mountain

Adjective

• arienai/shinjirarenai: unbelievable–> remember when Tsukushi Makino screams out loud “ARIENAITSUNO!!”
• atarashi (new) >< furu(i): old
• chibi; chii-sai (small) >< tekai (big/giant)
• taisetsu/daisetsu: important
• donkusai: clumsy
• ii (nice) >< iya na (bad)
• ii miyoi; ii kaori (nice smells) >< kusai (stink)
• kakooi: cool!
• kawaii (cute) >< busu (ugly)
• kawai-sho: poor you
• kirei (pretty beautiful)
• kuwai: scary
• mabushi (bright, shinning) >< makuro (dark)
• naka (inside) >< soto (outside)
• okane-mochi (rich) >< bimbo (poor)
• omoshiroi: interesting; fun; funny
• saiko (the best) >< saite (the worst)
• saigo (the last, final) >< hajimete–> saigo no koi means last love while first love is known as hatsu no koi
• shiawase = ureshii = happy>< kanashi (sad)
• takai: high; tall—little children usually love it when they are lifted up by adult while saying “takai..takai..”
• yasashi (nice) >< hiroi (cruel)
• zannen: unfortunate　>< lakki!! (lucky)

Short Phrases:

• Aho! (stupid)
• Baka! (stupid; ridicilous)
• Banzai!! (depends on the situatiob..it’s hard to translate)
  
• Fighto! (fight!)
• Ganbatte Kudasai! (do your best!)
• Gochisosama(deshita) (thank you for the meal OR thank you for your treat)Iko! (let’s go..short form of ikimasho!)
• Itadakimasu (hard to translate…but most of the subs write, ‘I start eating’ or ‘I will enjoy it’)
• Kanpai (toast!)
• Oishii (delicious)
• sugoii!! (expression of being amazed)
• ume/umai! (delicious–but more rude than oishii usually only uttered by boys/men)
• Yatta (yes! I did it!)

Animal (doubutsu)

• chouchou: butterfly
• hebi: snake
• inu: dog
• kame: turtle
• neko: cat
• nyanko: (cute way of calling) cat
• ryuu: dragon
  
• sakana: fish
• tori: poultry/bird
  
• uma: horse (it is different from “umai”–which means delicious)
• ushi: cow
• wanko: (just like nyanko but this time it means) dog

Seasons:

• Aki: Autumn
• Fuyu: Winter
• Haru: Spring
• Natsu: Summer

Weather related terms

• ame: rain
• kaze: wind
• taiyo: sun
• hoshi: star
• tsuki; getsu: moon (getsu can be translated as month too)

BODY’s parts

• ashi: foot
• atama: head (atama ga ii…means “smart”)
• hadaka:nude, naked
• harto: heart
• karada: body
• kuchi: mouth
• kuchibiru: lips (I’m not sure about this but most of the times it is translated as lips)
• me: eye(s)
• mimi: ear(s) (thus neko mimi means cat’s ears)
• mune: chest
• oppai: breast
• onaka: stomach (onaka ga suita-I’m hungry, onaka ga ippai-I’m full)
• te: hand (te hanase-let go of my hand, omote-in your hand)
• yubi: finger (yubikiri means pinky promise)