Ok, I think that I'll make this a request page. Just send
me the words that you want to know and I'll try to find the translation.
Anime Jargon
Obviously it'd be useful to know the useful anime terms that are in English first, right?
| "Jap" | I see this word used too often as an abbreviation for Japanese. History lesson: Back in World War 2 when America racistly put Japanese-Americans in internment camps, brought Japanese body parts home for trophies, and dropped a weapon of mass destruction (twice) on the Japanese military and non-military citizens (Compare this to what we did to the Germans) the term "Jap" was used derrogatively against Japanese the way "nigger" and "chinks" are used against other minority groups. If you have to be abbreviate, modify it another way. No one but old Chinese and Koreans should use this terms... |
| OAV | See beginner's FAQ. |
| Sonmay | This Taiwanese company is one of a bunch of anime CD bootleggers. They basically sell cheap but illegal versions of expensive Japanese CDs. |
| Anime/Manga | You should know these terms, if not, then anime is short for animation while manga is sort of like the American equivalent of comic books. Most mangas are in black and white and are relatively cheap compared to Japanese anime and CDs. |
| Geisha | Females who entertained males, so far as I understood. They were not whores, as stereotyped by ignorant Americans. Yes, they used to have sex with their clients, but it's not the same thing... |
| Hentai | "Adult" anime. I think "typical" anime, which can have hundreds of nudity shots, is different from hentai only by the intent of the maker on the viewer. If it's sexual arousal, it's hentai, if it's comedy or something else, it's not. |
| Shoujo | Young woman. Anime aimed at girls, read my article on Shoujo anime for a greater description on what you can expect from this kind of anime. |
| Shonen | Young man, that's what it means. Intent is to usually stimulate testosterone, hormones, and/or rarely the intellect. |
| Otaku | The Americans have taken this word and corrupted it to be equivalent to "fan". In truth, "otaku" means "house", so if you call a Japanese person an otaku, you would be insulting him/her because you'd be calling him or her a dirty, lifeless, fanboy. Read more in my article that discusses the gruesome etimology of "otaku": Otaku Article |
Japan has a very complex culture where differences in power/gender/age can change the way you relate to others. Thus there are many ways for one to say "I". And because Japan is also a diverse place, these rules do not always apply.
| General "I" | Watashi |
| Male | Boku |
| Male, but more powerful, I think... | Orewa |
| Young girl | Atashi |
Misc
| Desu (Usually last word in sentence) | Is |
| Hitori | By oneself/Alone |
| Futari | Two people/two of us |
To Die
Obviously a useful word.
| To die | Shinu |
| Died | Shinda |
| To be able to die | Shine |
Useful Adjectives
| Kirai | Hate |
| Suki | To like/to love |
| Atsui | Hot |
| Atatakai | Warm (Comfortable) |
| Tanoshi | Pleasurable |
| Kanashi | Sadness |
| Kibishi | Loneliness |
| Utsukushi/Kirei | Beautiful |
| Dai (adjective modifier) | Very.
Eg: "Dai Suki" = Like a lot |
Useful Nouns
| Tsuki | Moon |
| Senshi | Soldier (what series do I like?) |
| Tatakai | Battle |
| Tenshi | Angel (Japanese people seem to like them) |
| Hikari | Light (Hikaru is a popular name) |
| Kibun | Hope |
| Yuki | Courage; Snow |
| Sakura | Cherry Blossom |
| Kiseki | Miracle |
| Umi | Ocean |
| Ume | Fate |
| Yakusoku | Promise |
Cr: ? Updated: 05-21-00
http://zap.to/cruelangel