Katakana loanwords explained: why English sounds different in Japanese

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Japanese is full of words borrowed from English, written in katakana. That sounds like good news for English speakers, and it is, once you learn how the words are reshaped. Hear "makudonarudo" for McDonald's or "aisu kuriimu" for ice cream and you will see why it is worth understanding the rules rather than guessing.

Why loanwords change

Japanese syllables are almost all a consonant followed by a vowel (ka, shi, to), plus the single consonant n. English words full of consonant clusters and final consonants have to be fitted into that pattern. A handful of rules cover most of it.

Rule 1: vowels are added

Every consonant except n needs a vowel after it, so extra vowels appear.

After most consonants, u is added: bus becomes basu, desk becomes desuku.
After t and d, o is added instead, because "tu" and "du" do not exist in standard Japanese: test becomes tesuto, bed becomes beddo.
After the "ch" and "j" sounds, i is added: match becomes matchi, bridge becomes burijji.

That is why short English words become long: strike is sutoraiku, five syllables from one.

Rule 2: l and r merge

Japanese has one sound between English l and r, written with the ra-ri-ru-re-ro row. So both "rice" and "lice" become raisu, and "glass" and "grass" are both gurasu. Context does the work. When writing a word back into English, you sometimes just have to know which it was.

Rule 3: v often becomes b

The v sound is traditionally replaced by b: video is bideo, violin is baiorin, service is saabisu. A katakana letter for v (ヴ) exists and appears in some words and names, but the b spelling is far more common in everyday writing.

Rule 4: other sounds that shift

th becomes s or z: thank you is sankyuu, smooth is sumuuzu.
Long vowels are marked with a dash (ー): coffee is koohii, computer is konpyuutaa.
"er" endings at the end of a word become a long a: computer, printer (purintaa), driver (doraibaa).
Small tsu (ッ) doubles a consonant: bed (beddo), cup (kappu).

Words that do not mean what you think

Some loanwords shifted in meaning after arriving.

Manshon (mansion): a block of flats, usually a solid concrete condominium. Nothing grand about it.
Baikingu (Viking): an all-you-can-eat buffet, named after a Tokyo hotel's smorgasbord restaurant in the 1950s.
Konsento (from "concentric plug"): a wall socket.
Sarariiman (salary man): an office worker, especially a male company employee in a suit.
Sumaato (smart): slim, not clever.
Teeburu (table) is a dining table, but a desk is still a tsukue.
Mishin (from "sewing machine"): a sewing machine only.

Wasei-eigo: English made in Japan

Wasei-eigo means "Japanese-made English": words built from English parts that English speakers do not use.

Sukinshippu (skinship): physical closeness and affection between family or friends.
Naitaa (nighter): a baseball game played at night.
Saabisu zangyou (service overtime): unpaid overtime.
Pasokon (personal computer): shortened to the first parts of each word, a common pattern.
Wan-pataan (one pattern): predictable, always the same.
Gasorin sutando (gasoline stand): a petrol station.
Kanningu (cunning): cheating in an exam.

Shortening is everywhere: sumaho (smartphone), eakon (air conditioner), konbini (convenience store), depaato (department store).

How to learn them

Learn katakana properly first, including the small letters and the long-vowel dash. Mixing up シ (shi) and ツ (tsu) is a classic problem.
Say the word aloud in Japanese rhythm before guessing the English. Reading "ko-n-bi-ni" slowly often makes the original jump out.
Do not assume: use a loanword the Japanese way, not your own. Saying "takushii" is understood; saying "taxi" with English pronunciation may not be.
Note false friends in a list as you meet them.
Read menus and signs: they are full of katakana and a great free workbook.

What katakana word confused you the most? Share it, or ask about one you have seen, in the comments.