Again from the same book as before, the author remarks on “borrowed words.” First I’ll give you what he wrote and comment later…

“Borrowed words” (外来語・gairai-go)

The Japanese Language has incorporated so many English words that many people find it hard to talk without using English. Today’s young Japanese, who grew up using more that any other generation, will likely have a hard time telling foreign words form Japanese words. But many still have a problem with correct English pronunciation…

Comment:
I find this one to be the biggest joke here… Often, if you ask a Japanese person, “can you speak english?” “英語はできますか” the common responce will be a resounding “no” “ぜんぜんできません！” but perhaps later on as the two of you chat, you’ll notice the common use of English words to describe either new gadgets or places. It’s weird! Like someone today (an American) asked me how to say “good-bye” in Japanese? To be honest it’s…”Jaa Ne Bye-bye” or just bye bye. I tried telling this to a Japanese person that if they willed it they too could speak English.

However, while the words are the same the spelling is in Katakana (or one of the two phonetic alphabets) thus forming what is called “Katakana-go” or “katakana Language.” This only applies to speaking however… Japanese people can read English amazingly well and understand a lot.

I’d also like to tell you that often the English words that are borrowed are American English words, meaning that the word “Color” is spelled “C-O-L-O-R” and not “Colour” as it would be in say… England.

~J out “bye! bye!”

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