What do you call ..... in Japanese? : Jumper, trainer, and paper driver
In previous entry titled "What do you call ... in Japanese: Apartment vs Mansion, wasei eigo", I wrote about there are words that sounds like English but words are meaning much different things in Japanese.
Those words are the words people in Japan think you will be understanding what they are pointing out and you will be thinking about the same exact items. However, often times, those are the words that create misunderstanding each other.
Some English words that founds place in Japanese sometime have much much different meaning from original meaning in English.
For example, British English word "Jumper". We Japanese pronounce the word as you pronounce it. What we have in mind? It is a clothe that is for exercise, work, or for warmth and cuff and waist area is tightened, and sometimes, students call it "windbreaker".
In British English, "jumper" means what we imagine as "sweater". Do you think you know what we imagine when we say "Jumper skirt"? People in England would call it "pinafore dress" and we are imagining the clothe: skirt without sleeves or collars. Some young kids in Japan call jumper skirt "Jan suka" It is shorten words, just like "paso kon" for "Personal computer".
Another word that may create misunderstanding will be "trainer". If you shout the word to Japanese, they will understand the word but they would think about different thing from what you think.
The word "trainer" points type of clothe in Japan. Trainer, what we imagine, is an exercise clothe sports athletes would wear to protect their body so as not to get their body cold while practicing. In British English, it means athletic shoes. In Japan, athletic shoe is called "sneaker".
Recently, I was talking to my husband that my sister was "paper driver". He thought I meant my sister was the person who delivers newspaper to neighborhood. In my mind, "paper driver" meant person who took and passed driver license test and have drivers license but not driving cars for years and years.
When you travel around the world, and meet people and learn their culture is very interesting. Language is one of the things you may find it interesting to learn more too.
Those words are the words people in Japan think you will be understanding what they are pointing out and you will be thinking about the same exact items. However, often times, those are the words that create misunderstanding each other.
Some English words that founds place in Japanese sometime have much much different meaning from original meaning in English.
For example, British English word "Jumper". We Japanese pronounce the word as you pronounce it. What we have in mind? It is a clothe that is for exercise, work, or for warmth and cuff and waist area is tightened, and sometimes, students call it "windbreaker".
In British English, "jumper" means what we imagine as "sweater". Do you think you know what we imagine when we say "Jumper skirt"? People in England would call it "pinafore dress" and we are imagining the clothe: skirt without sleeves or collars. Some young kids in Japan call jumper skirt "Jan suka" It is shorten words, just like "paso kon" for "Personal computer".
Another word that may create misunderstanding will be "trainer". If you shout the word to Japanese, they will understand the word but they would think about different thing from what you think.
The word "trainer" points type of clothe in Japan. Trainer, what we imagine, is an exercise clothe sports athletes would wear to protect their body so as not to get their body cold while practicing. In British English, it means athletic shoes. In Japan, athletic shoe is called "sneaker".
Recently, I was talking to my husband that my sister was "paper driver". He thought I meant my sister was the person who delivers newspaper to neighborhood. In my mind, "paper driver" meant person who took and passed driver license test and have drivers license but not driving cars for years and years.
When you travel around the world, and meet people and learn their culture is very interesting. Language is one of the things you may find it interesting to learn more too.
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