Glossary of Foreign Words and Terms
Many thanks to Vince Seifert for allowing me to "steal" his glossary page in toto and add to it at will. Cheers!
Last revised December 4, 2007.
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General
Greetings and Such
Familial Relationships and Address
Martial Arts
Food
Special Terms of Cultural Interest to Anime/Manga Fans
Airen/Ai-Ren
Aiya/Aiyaa Chinese. Extraordinarily useful exclamation, suitable for expressing many levels of dismay and related emotions.
baka/baaka Japanese -n, adj. Fool. One of the kanji used in writing this word is the same as one of the kanji used in writing Ranma, making it unusually apropos when applied to him, as Akane does frequently.
-chan Japanese. Honorific suffix, diminutive. Used for those younger than the speaker, or for whom the speaker has affection, particularly children.
dotera Japanese -n. Heavy, loose knee-length robe worn for warmth in casual circumstances, such as at an onsen in the winter.
futon Japanese -n. Thick quilt used as a pad when sleeping on the floor.
furigana Japanese -n. Small hiragana printed next to kanji characters to give their pronunciation, making them easier to read. The Ranma ½ manga have furigana.
furin Japanese -n. Small, ring chime almost ubiquitous in Japanese households. The wind-catch at the end of the string is often an ofuda, wishing for good luck or something similar.
furo Japanese -n. Deep bathtub filled with very hot water, intended for soaking and relaxation rather than hygiene, as the bather is expected to be squeaky-clean before entering the water. Often spoken as "Ofuro".
Ha! Japanese. As concerns this glossary, a more formal version of hai, often used by inferiors in affirmative response to their administrative or other hierarchical superiors. For example, in Tenchi Muyou!, the Juraian Guardians, Azaka and Kamidake, often respond to Princess Aeka's commands with "Ha!"
hai Japanese. "Yes", more or less, although the meanings of hai only partially overlap our "yes" and include other concepts that "yes" does not.
-han Japanese. Honorific suffix regional to the Kansai District. Equivalent to -san.
hiragana Japanese -n. One of two sets of "Japanese" characters used for writing Japanese (the other is katakana). Unlike kanji, they denote sounds; each character is a syllable. Collectively, the two systems are known as kana. Hiragana is the syllablic vocabulary for Japanese words, whereas katakana is for foreign words, although it doesn't preserve foreign pronunciation to any great extent. Two or more hiragana characters are used for some syllables.
iinazuke Japanese -n. Fiancée or fiancé.
Joketsuzoku Japanese -n. Lit. "Tribe of Hero Women"; the Chinese Amazons. I believe the Chinese version of this is Nyuuchiezuu.
kana
kanaka
kanji Japanese -n. The large set of "Chinese" characters used for writing Japanese. Each represents a concept rather than a sound; each has several associated pronunciations. There are thousands of them, and learning them is nontrivial even for native speakers of Japanese.
katakana
kawaii Japanese -adj.Cute. It would take volumes to describe the notion of "cute" in Japanese society. Suffice it to say that it is pervasive at virtually all socio-economic levels.
keiki
kimono Japanese -n. Dress worn by traditional Japanese women, and by non-traditional women on formal occasions. Kimono are also worn by men, but a man's kimono is usually darker, less decorated, of heavier fabric, and cut differently.
koi Japanese -n. Colorful carp bred to be viewed from above. Related to goldfish, but spunkier and more gregarious. Alternate meanings include "love" and "voice".
-kun Japanese. Honorific suffix used for people with whom the speaker is familiar.
lei Hawaiian -n. Flower necklace or garland.
manga Japanese -n. A Japanese comic-book. Ranma ½ was originally a serialized manga.
Nanniichuan Chinese -n. Spring of Drowned Man. Possibly a cure for Ranma's curse.
Nekohanten Japanese -n. The restaurant where Cologne, Shampoo, and Mousse live. Literally "Cat Chinese Restaurant", although usually translated as "Cat Café".
Nyanniichuan Chinese -n. Spring of Drowned Girl. Ranma fell into it.
ofuda Japanese -n. Small amulet or charm used to influence spirits.
onna Japanese -n, adj. Female. "onna-Ranma" refers to Ranma when in female form.
onsen Japanese -n. Hot spring, especially one used for bathing.
Origami Japanese -n. The art of paper-folding.
pilikia
-sama Japanese. Honorific suffix used to the speaker's social superiors. When Kodachi addresses Ranma as "Ranma-sama", she is flattering him immoderately.
-san Japanese. Default honorific suffix, used in situations of ordinary politeness when none of the others apply or when uncertain of mutual social status.
Sempai/-sempai or Senpai/-senpai Japanese -n, suffix. An upperclassman or mentor. Also an honorific suffix used when addressing such a person.
Sensei/-sensei Japanese -n, suffix. A teacher, doctor, professor, or master. Also an honorific suffix used when addressing such a person.
shinentai Japanese -n. Yearning ghost, a spirit trapped in the world by some task left incomplete.
shougi Japanese -n. Not to be confused with "shouji". Essentially the Japanese version of chess, although the starting layout is different, the pieces are all the same shape with different kanji written upon them, and the rules differ in some ways, especially in that captured pieces can under certain circumstances be returned to the board and used by the capturing player. The anime Shion no Ou is about a women's shougi league.
shouji Japanese -n. Sliding screen used in traditional Japanese architecture as a door or room divider. The term refers both to light, translucent screens and heavier, opaque screens, but not to the heavy sliding shutters used to secure a building.
tatami Japanese -n. A mat, about 3' by 6', made of bundled straw and used for flooring in traditional Japanese architecture. The size of a room is often referred to in terms of the number of tatami, e.g., an eight-tatami bedroom.
wahine
Wo ai ni
Wo da airen
Yazuniichuan Chinese -n. Spring of Drowned Duck. Mousse fell into it.
yen/en Japanese -n. Unit of Japanese currency. About $0.01 US, give or take exchange fluctuations. The "y" in "yen" is a Western addition. The proper word is "en", and can be easily seen in Hinako-sensei's ki-draining attacks, e.g., Happou-go-en-satsu. However, "yen" is so ingrained in our minds, in my opinion, it serves little purpose to use "en" in fanfiction.
yukata Japanese -n. Light cotton robe worn in casual circumstances, such as at an onsen in the summer.
Ja/Ja ne/Ja mata/Mata ne Japanese. All basically mean "See you later," but there are subtle differences.
Konbanwa Japanese. Greeting. "Good Evening".
Konnichiwa Japanese. Greeting. "Hello" or "Good Afternoon".
Moshi moshi Japanese. Standard telephone greeting.
Nihao Chinese. Greeting. "Hello".
Ohayou (gozaimasu) Japanese. Greeting. "Good morning". The addition of gozaimasu strengthens and, depending on the circumstance, may formalize the greeting.
Oyasumi (nasai) Japanese. "Good night." The addition of nasai strengthens the sentiment and may, depending on the circumstances, formalize it.
The variations in the following are simply too numerous to comprehensively address. It's almost "anything goes". However, I have attempted to list the most commonly used terms along with a few less-common ones that a viewer might hear when watching subtitled anime.
Imouto Japanese -n. Younger sister.
Jiji Japanese -n. Impolite address for a very old man.
Obaba/'Baba Japanese -n. Impolite address for a very old woman.
Obasan/Obasama/Obachan Japanese -n. An aunt or a familiar older woman that is roughly past thirty through middle-aged, although the difference is somewhat relative from the adressor to the addressee. -san is neutral, -sama is very respectful, and -chan is affectionate. For example, Kasumi respectfully refers to Nodoka as "Saotome-no-obasama". Calling a younger adult woman as such is often used as in insult. Doubling the length of the first "a" vowel, e.g., Obaasama indicates an old-age woman. Rough speakers will often leave off the initial "O", e.g., "'Basan".
Ofukuro Japanese -n. A regional term for "mother" that when used is often considered speaking roughly.
Ojisan/Ojisama/Ojichan Japanese -n. An uncle or a familiar older man that is roughly past thirty through middle-aged, although as in Obasan, the difference is somewhat relative between the addressor and the addressee. -san is neutral, -sama is very respectful, and -chan is affectionate. Kasumi respectfully refers to Genma as "Saotome-no-ojisama", even if it's largely unwarranted :). It can also be used as a pejorative in the same way as Obasan, but it is less common. Like "Obaasama", the double-length "i" sound indicates an old-age man, e.g., "Grandfather". Rough speakers will often leave off the initial "O", e.g., "'Jisan".
Ojousan/Ojousama/Ojouchan Japanese -n. A woman in her teens through roughly her twenties and younger than the speaker. Ojouchan can sometimes be used as a pejorative, and the daughters of rich people are often called Ojousama by any staff. Sometimes, a daughter of a boss is called Ojou in yakuza television dramas.
Okaasan/Okaasama/Okaachan Japanese -n. Mother. -san is neutral, -sama is very respectful, and -chan is affectionate. Okaasama may also be used by someone hoping to become a daughter-in-law, as Kodachi would do to Ranma's mother if they'd ever had opportunity to meet. Rough speaking would include 'Kaasan, 'Kaachan, and Okaa. A more archaic term that is still sometimes used is Hahaue.
Oneesan/Oneesama/Oneechan Japanese -n. Older sister. -san is neutral, -sama is very respectful, and -chan is affectionate. Can be insulting if used inappropriately. More archaic terms would be Aneue, Ane, Anesan, Anesama, and Aneki. All terms can be used as a suffix after someone's name, and -oneesan and -oneechan are often shortened to "-'nee", e.g., "Kasumi-nee".
Oniisan/Oniisama/Oniichan Japanese -n. Older brother. -san is neutral, -sama is very respectful, and -chan is affectionate. Rarely used as a pejorative of any kind. More archaic terms would be Aniue, Ani, Anisan, Anisama, and Aniki. Older men sometimes refer to young men as Anchan in a sort of affectionate way. In television Yakuza dramas, younger members of a gang will often call older members higher in the pecking order Aniki, especially one's mentor within the gang. All terms can be used as a suffix after someone's name, and -oniisan and -oniichan is often shortened to "-'nii", e.g. "Hiro-nii".
Ototo/Otouto Japanese -n. Younger brother.
Otousan/Otousama/Otouchan Japanese -n. Father. -san is neutral, -sama is very respectful, and -chan is affectionate. Otousama may also be used by a woman hoping to become a daughter-in-law. More archaic terms would be chichiue and its diminutive, chichi.
Oyaji
bougu Japanese -n. Kendou armor, consisting of men, tare, dou, and kote: mask with flaring shoulder-pads, armor-skirt, chest armor, and padded gauntlets.
bokken/bokutou Japanese -n. A hardwood stick shaped roughly like a katana, usually used for practicing forms. Kunou Tatewaki is rarely without one. The terms bokken and bokutou seem to mean the same item, but usage differs; bokken seems to be used outside of Japan while the Japanese use the term bokutou. The practice sword Kunou carries is clearly called a bokutou by onna-Ranma in the Ranma ½ anime series.
bonbori/bonbouri Japanese(?) -n. Large-headed Chinese mace. Shampoo's favorite weapon.
Chudan-no-kamae Japanese -n. Kendou guard position in which the shinai is held in front of the waist and the tip is at eye level.
dou-gi Japanese -n. "Battle costume", more or less. The suit that "chose" Akane in v.32, parts 8-11, was a dou-gi, which Akane later called "Dou-chan".
doujou Japanese -n. Martial-arts training hall. Lit. "teaching place".
gi Japanese -n. Clothing for martial-arts practice, consisting of loose trousers and an overlapping-closure top of heavy cotton.
hakama Japanese -n. Item of (male, usually) apparel, sort of like a cross between a skirt and very baggy trousers. Kunou Tatewaki almost always wears hakama, and it's also part of the customary dress for kendou. It is also worn by the groom in a traditional wedding.
Hiryuu Shouten Ha Japanese -n. Lit. "Flying Dragon Ascending Strike". Viz translates it as "Heaven-Blast of the Dragon".
Iaidou/Iaijutsu/Battoujutsu Japanese -n. The arts of sword-drawing and re-sheathing. All are rather refined and contemplative practices, having more to do with ritual and ceremony than practical martial applications.Iaidou—the mental and spiritual practices of drawing the sword, making a cut, and returning the blade to its saya (sheath/scabbard). Iaijutsu—the actual forms and techniques of the drawing the sword, making a cut, and returning the blade to its saya. Battoujutsu—essentially the same as Iaijutsu but usually incorporating multiple cuts after drawing the sword. Battoujutsu students may also practice their cuts on real objects, which Iaidou/Iaijutsu students rarely do.
kata Japanese -n. Lit. "form". In this context, a martial-arts exercise used to train reflex responses by a repeated sequence of movements.
katana Japanese -n. A Japanese sword with a slightly curved, single-edged blade. This is the type of sword Ranma's mother carries with her.
kendou Japanese -n. Japanese fencing. Kendou is really more of a sport than a martial art; it is descended from swordfighting skills, but is now a discipline in and of itself rather than a way to train for combat. The opponents wear armor called bougu, covering the torso, hands and forearms, and head, and these are also (more or less) the valid striking areas. The sword is represented by a shinai, a flexible mock-sword made of bamboo and leather. A kendou match is fought in a square floor area about 10 meters across, to best two of three hits; there are rules for fouls, invalid hits, etc. A datotsu (valid hit) has to strike a valid target area (datotsu-bui) with correct form and displayed attitude.
kenjutsu Japanese -n. Japanese sword combat skill. Students of kenjutsu use bokken/bokutou or sometimes katana to practice skills that are applicable to actual combat with edged weapons.
kenpou/kempou Japanese -n. The family of martial arts which includes Musabetsu Kakutou.
ki Japanese -n. Energy or power, generally considered by anime/manga readers to be a person's life-force, and, in this context, refers to the power used by martial artists to perform amazing feats ranging from running over rooftops to the Hiryu Shoten Ha. (An alternate definition of ki is "tree".)
Kiai! Japanese. Yell used to center and focus one's energies when striking.
kunoichi Japanese -n. A female shinobi or ninja, a warrior trained in stealth. Konatsu, Ukyou's waitress (or perhaps waiter) is a kunoichi. Although Konatsu is actually male, he was raised as a woman, so the appellation still fits.
Kyudo Japanese -n. Target archery.
Musabetsu Kakutou Japanese -n. The martial-arts style practiced by the Saotome and Tendou families. Lit. "unrestricted unarmed combat," more or less. Some translate it as "unrestricted grappling". Viz translates this as "Anything Goes Martial Arts".
naginata Japanese -n. A polearm with a long curved blade, a little like a katana with a two-meter hilt, although the blade may be shorter and wider. Naginata were the traditional weapon of women of the noble class, particularly samurai, although men might use them as well.
Neko-ken Japanese -n. Lit. "Cat-Fist".
Mouko Takabisha Japanese -n. Lit. "Fierce Tiger Domineering".
-ryuu Japanese -n, suffix. School, style. Musabetsu Kakutou Tendou-ryuu is the variant of Unrestricted Combat taught by the Tendou family, for example.
samurai Japanese -n. A warrior in service to a clan or lord in feudal Japan.
shinai Japanese -n. Mock sword made of bamboo strips, used for kendou (Japanese fencing).
tsuba Japanese -n. The hilt-guard of a katana. Tsuba are often works of art in and of themselves, being decorated by engraving, piercing, inlays, etc.
tsuki Japanese -n. In kendou, a thrust to the throat-flap of the mask; the only valid thrust.
tsubo Japanese -n. Point on the body used as the focus for acupuncture or acupressure.
Umi-sen-ken Japanese -n. Lit "sea-thousand-fist", a Musabetsu Kakutou style invented by Genma in analogy to the methods of a stealthy burglar.
Wakki-ga-kamae Japanese -n. Kendou guard position in which the shinai angles downward with the tip near the right foot.
yari Japanese -n. Spear. The Japanese spear typically has a short, narrow, double-edged blade with a short symmetrical point.
bentou Japanese -n. A box lunch, usually involving rice; can be quite elaborate in preparation and attractive in presentation. For a girl to make a bento for a boy is often a sign of interest. Often heard in spoken Japanese with an "O-" prefix.
cha-su-men Japanese(?) -n. Barbecued pork and noodles.
gomoku Japanese -n. Lit. "five things". Meat and vegetables with rice.
gyouza Japanese(?) -n. Small packets of meat mixture in a dough wrapper. They can be boiled, steamed, or fried, and if fried, they are colloquially known as "potstickers".
kappa-maki Japanese -n. Rolled sushi with cucumber in the middle, nori on the outside, and rice in between, seasoned with wasabi. What Americans call a "California Roll", more or less.
ma-bo toufu Japanese(?) -n. Ground beef or pork and soybean cake in a spicy sauce.
maki-sushi Japanese -n. Sushi made by rolling a cylinder of sushi rice and fillings in a skin of nori, using a bamboo-and-string mat called a makisu. One of the main classifications of sushi; the other is nigiri-sushi, in which the rice is formed in the hand.
miso Japanese -n. Fermented soybean paste, frequently eaten as soup but also as a flavoring.
musubi Japanese -n. A rice ball, usually formed in the hand, sometimes with a tidbit in the center, sometimes with a strip of nori wrapped around it.
niku dango Japanese -n. Sweet-and-sour meatball dumplings.
nori Japanese -n. Seaweed dried in sheets, used in sushi fabrication and, shredded, as a condiment.
okonomi-yaki Japanese -n. A flat fried food involving shredded cabbage, soba noodles, batter, and the toppings of the customer's choice. Ukyou's stock-in-trade.
ramen Japanese(?) -n. Chinese noodles in clear broth, usually with meat and/or vegetables added. In Japan, the clarity of the broth helps determine the quality of the dish. Shampoo's stock-in-trade.
soba Japanese -n. Thin brown buckwheat noodles, eaten hot or cold.
sushi Japanese -n. Rice seasoned with vinegar. Also, by extension, small delicacies fashioned from sushi rice, fish, egg, seaweed, etc. Does not necessarily involve raw fish; that's sashimi.
tako
tamago
tamago-nigiri Japanese -n. Sushi made by placing a slice of omelet atop a small block of pressed rice and securing it with a strip of nori. A delicious way to introduce people turned off by images of raw fish to sushi.
ten-don Japanese -n. Short for tenpura-donburi. Tempura (batter-fried shrimp, fish, vegetables, etc.) over rice.
toufu Japanese -n. A cake of soy-bean curd, eaten as a protein supplement. There's no other possible reason, as neither its taste nor its texture is particularly interesting. Not to be confused with toufuu, which is the given name of our good doctor of accupuncture and moxibustion in Ranma ½ and means "east wind". The word tofu means something entirely different, although this is the way most English speakers are accustomed to seeing the name of the doctor and the bean curd spelled.
udon Japanese -n. Thick white noodles, usually eaten in soup.
wasabi Japanese -n. Japanese mustard, sort of. Hot green horseradish paste.
yasai
yatai Japanese -n. Cart used for food-service, such as okonomi-yaki.
chikan Japanese -n. Refers to an obscene act against a victim's will. It is most commonly used to describe the groping of women on crowded public mass transit, such as trains and buses. The opposite term for the groping of men by women is chijo. This problem has grown so bad that most Japanese train lines now include female-only cars.
ecchi Japanese -adj. Lecherous or perverted. From "H" as in "hentai".
Janken Japanese -n. A children's game, scissors-paper-stone. Stone breaks scissors, scissors cut paper, paper wraps stone.
kanchou Japanese -n. An act performed by clasping the hands together so the index fingers are pointing out and attempting to insert them sharply into someone's anal region when the victim is not looking. Known most commonly in public schools, where anyone from other students to teachers are the targets.
kemonomimi Japanese -n. Term describing humanoid characters that possess animal-like features. Unlike kemono characters who appear primarily animal-like, kemonomimi characters typically appear human except for added animal-like qualities, such as an added tail and ears. Often, these animal-like characteristics are part of the character's attire and can be removed at will. Nekomimi, "catgirl", is probably the most well known subtype.
shoujo-ai Japanese -n. Term referring to romantic love between two females, usually teenaged girls. Rarely includes anything more risqué than secret trysts involving stolen kisses and hugs and melodramatic exclamations of love.
shoujo-manga Japanese -n. Girls' comics, often featuring romantic themes.
yaoi Japanese(?) -n. Term referring to entertainment media depicting or a general adjective describing sexual love between two males.
yuri Japanese(?) -n. Term referring to entertainment media depicting or a general adjective describing sexual love between two females.
zettai ryouiki Japanese -n. Lit. "absolute territory", and refers colloquially to the area of bare thigh between a girl's skirt and the top of her above-the-knee socks and is considered a MOE attribute. The term originated from Neon Genesis Evangelion in reference to the "absolute terror field", but it had none of the term's current connotations in the anime.
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