What are gairaigo?
外来語 (gairaigo — foreign-origin words) are loanwords adopted into Japanese, predominantly from English but also from Portuguese, German, French, and Dutch. They are written in katakana and make up a significant portion of modern Japanese vocabulary — particularly in technology, food, fashion, and pop culture.
The existence of gairaigo is enormously helpful for English speakers learning Japanese. If you can recognise the original English word in its katakana form, you already know the meaning. Thousands of Japanese words are essentially free vocabulary for English speakers.
How English sounds adapt to Japanese phonology
Japanese syllables follow a consonant-vowel pattern. English consonant clusters and final consonants do not exist in Japanese phonology, so loanwords are adapted: "strike" becomes ストライク (sutoraiku), "Christmas" becomes クリスマス (kurisumasu), "McDonald's" becomes マクドナルド (Makudonarudo). The length of loanwords in Japanese can be surprising — "television" becomes テレビ (terebi), heavily shortened.
Long vowels are marked with a horizontal line called a ー (chōonpu — long sound mark): コーヒー (kōhī — coffee), ビール (bīru — beer), サービス (sābisu — service).
Some gairaigo have diverged significantly from their English source. マンション (manshon) from "mansion" means a modern apartment or condominium, not a large stately home. テンション (tenshon) from "tension" means excitement or energy level, not stress. Always check meaning in context — especially for false friends.
Common gairaigo by category
Food: パン (bread, from Portuguese pão), ケーキ (cake), アイスクリーム (ice cream), ピザ (pizza), カレー (curry). Technology: パソコン (personal computer), スマホ (smartphone), インターネット (internet). Fashion: ズボン (trousers, from French), セーター (sweater), ジーンズ (jeans). Sports: サッカー (soccer/football), テニス (tennis), バスケット (basketball).
Practice katakana
Katakana is the script for all foreign loanwords — learn it with our free trainer.