Taiwanese words from Japanese
Extensive contact with the Japanese language has left a legacy of Japanese loanwords. Here is a sampling.
Refer to the Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan for a table of 172 Japanese loanwords (we have annotated MTL and English).
Taiwanese pronunciation
These words use Taiwanese pronunciation (Hokkien phonology; Taiguo Hoat'ym). A number of these are Wasei-kango.
MTL | Japanese | Hiragana | Romaji | Mandarin | English |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
piexntofng | 弁当 | べんとう | bentō | 餐盒 | lunch (prepared beforehand)/lunchbox/bento box |
bixsox | 味の素 | あじのもと | ajinomoto | 味精 | monosodium glutamate(MSG)/gourmet powder/Accent/Ajinomoto |
khawzø | 口座 | こうざ | kōza | 帳戶 | (bank, computer, etc.) account |
zhuttviw | 出張 | しゅっちょう | shutchō | 出差 | official tour; business trip |
chiwheeng | 手形 | てがた | tegata | 支票 | a bill, a note, a draft |
zuobuun | 注文 | ちゅうもん | chūmon | 訂購 | order (merchandise) |
kiehux | 寄付 | きふ | kifu | 捐獻 | donate (money or land)/donation/donate (money or land) |
arnnai | 案内 | あんない | annai | 安撫 | to guide/entertain (a guest)/accompany |
zuytø | 水道 | すいどう | suidō | 水管 | water pipe/hose |
horngsaxng | 放送 | ほうそう | hōsō | 廣播 | to broadcast |
iupien | 郵便 | ゆうびん | yūbin | 郵件 | mail/post |
piexnsor | 便所 | べんじょ | benjo | 廁所 | toilet/water closet |
pvixvi | 病院 | びょういん | byōin | 醫院 | hospital |
zuosia | 注射 | ちゅうしゃ | chūsha | 打針 | injection/give an injection |
kiernpurn | 見本 | みほん | mihon | 樣品 | sample , example |
huilengky | 飛行機 | ひこうき | hikōki | 飛機 | airplane |
zuxzoafnchiaf | 自転車 | じてんしゃ | jitensha | 自行車 | bicycle |
toaxthofng | 大通り | おおどおり | ōdōri | 大馬路 | Big street/avenue/main street |
baxnlienpid | 万年筆 | まんねんひつ | man'nenhitsu | 鋼筆 | fountain pen |
pahhøex-tiaxm | 百貨店 | ひゃっかてん | hyakkaten | 百貨公司 | department store |
oexsefng-... | 衛生 | えいせい | eisei | 衛生 | hygienic/sanitary/hygiene/sanitation |
zwgi | 主義 | しゅぎ | shugi | 主義 | doctrine |
kengzex | 経済 | けいざい | keizai | 經濟 | economy |
Japanese words commonly used by Taiwanese speakers
These are more or less spoken with Japanese pronunciation even if written in Harnji.
MTL | Romaji | Kanji | Kana | English |
---|---|---|---|---|
nofliq | nori | 海苔 | のり | nori (seaweed) |
anykhiq | aniki | 兄貴 | あにき | an elder brother, someone who is considered one's senior |
sasymiq | sashimi | 刺身 | さしみ | sashimi |
mysoq | miso | 味噌 | みそ | miso |
swsiq | sushi | 寿司 | すし | sushi |
ojysarng | ojisan | 小父さん | おじさん | man/uncle |
obafsarng | obāsan | お婆さん | おばあさん | grandma/old woman |
oasafbiq | wasabi | 山葵 | わさび | wasabi |
hinofkhiq | hinoki | 檜 | ひのき | Japanese cypress |
kharsaxng | kāsan | 母さん | かあさん | mother |
barnggaq | manga | 漫画 | まんが | comics; caricature; cartoon; manga; manhua |
torsaxng | tōsan | 父さん | とうさん | father |
thathafmiq | tatami | 疊 | たたみ | tatami mat |
khaangparng | kampan | 看板 | かんばん | kanban (signboard) |
urnciaxng | unchan | 運ちゃん | うんちゃん | driver |
khabarng | kaban | 鞄 | かばん | baggage, luggage |
lirngox | ringo | 林檎 | りんご | apple |
zunafmiq | tsunami | 津波/津浪 | つなみ | tsunami |
khimofciq | kimochi | 気持ち | きもち | emotion/mood |
asaflix | assari | あっさり | straightforward/clear cut |
More:
from English via Japanese
Main Article: Taiwanese words from English
MTL | English | Japanese | Romaji |
---|---|---|---|
alwmiq | aluminum | アルミ | arumi |
aozuq | out! (baseball) | アウト | auto |
baftaq | butter | バター | batā |
bakkuq | (v) to go back | バック | bakku |
ciokofleatox | chocolate | チョコレート | chokorēto |
gafsuq | gas (from Dutch) | ガス | gasu |
gietax | guitar | ギター | gitā |
haantofluq | steering wheel (handle) | ハンドル | handoru |
hotefluq | hotel | ホテル | hoteru |
ieenjirn | engine | エンジン | enjin |
khameflaq | camera | カメラ | kamera |
khatiern | curtain | カーテン | kāten |
kheciappuq | ketchup | ケチャップ | kechappu |
khoxngkulie | concrete (building material) | コンクリート | konkurīto |
khuliemux | cream | クリーム | kurīmu |
khyloq | kilo | キロ | kiro |
laetaq | lighter (fire making device) | ライター | raitā |
lajyoq | radio | ラジオ | rajio |
lolaebax | screwdriver | ドライバー | doraibā |
maekux | mike (microphone) | マイク | maiku |
melorng | melon | メロン | meron |
nekuttae | necktie | ネクタイ | nekutai |
phiernciq | pincher/pliers | ペンチ | penchi |
saesux | size | サイズ | saizu |
sietzuq | shirt | シャツ | shatsu |
sulitpaq | slippers | スリッパ | surippa |
thaeiax | tire | タイヤ | taiya |
thenysuq | tennis | テニス | tenisu |
tholafkhuq | truck | トラック | torakku |
thomaftoq | tomato | トマト | tomato |
from Portuguese via Japanese
MTL | English | Japanese | Romaji | Portuguese |
---|---|---|---|---|
pharng | bread | パン | pan | pão |
thieenpwlaq | tempura | 天ぷら | tenpura | tempero |
Placenames
See Also
References
- 外來詞 [Loanwords] (in Chinese). Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan. Ministry of Education (2011).
- Mair, V. (1992) East Asian Round-Trip Words in Sino-Platonic Papers (34)