Learn Japanese
Raven: Here's a list of Japanese words I learned from various websites. Also, here you can learn the various terms used in fanfiction's and anything regarding anime!
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ai (a-ee)
love
ai shiteru (a-ee shee ter� u)
I love you; this is used to describe a deeply passionate, and often physical,
love. It is widely used among fanfic writers. BUT NOT ME! I'm a humor fanfic
writer.
anata (ah nah tah)
you; polite form.
angst
heartbreak, suffering, agony; used mostly to describe a fanfic when one or more
characters go through these emotions.
anime (a-nih-may)
animation created in Japan; same as Japanese animation, just used more often.
anou (ah no)
um (no, I�m not trying to remember what it is, that�s really the meaning!)
baka (bah� kah)
idiot; in fanfics what Heero often calls Duo. Can be made in to an adjective by
putting �no� in front of it (e.g.- Relena stepped in front of Heero as Duo
pointed a gun at him. �Relena no baka,� thought Duo).
biseinen (bih sahee nayn)
beautiful young adult; usually refers to someone who is older than about 17 but
not older than their mid-twenties (e.g.- Zechs Marquise).
bishoujo (bih sho jo)
pretty girl; in anime, a girl with good looks and more than likely an attractive
body (e.g.-the girls in Sailor Moon).
bishounen (bih shoe nen)
pretty boy; in anime, a boy with features that might be somewhat feminine, but
are extremely attractive (e.g.- the g-boys, duh!). In Japan, bishounen sometimes
refers to boys who are overly feminine in either looks or behavior.
bubbles
I know what you�re thinking, and yes, I do mean your average soap bubble, but
these are can be found floating about a character when they get that warm,
happy, �my secret crush picked up my pencil for me when I dropped it in math
class!� type of feeling.
canon (ca-nen)
no, not a pirate cannon! That�s spelled with three n�s! This word describes what
is true and official in a series.
chan (chan)
literally it means �little� but it�s used as an ending put after names to show
affection or admiration. This ending is used mainly at the end of girls� names
(e.g.- Sakura-chan in Cardcaptor Sakura), but it can also be put at the end of
little kids� names no matter their sex (but be warned, little boys sometimes
take offense to it!)
chibi (chee bee)
kid; in anime, this usually refers to a type of drawing where the characters are
kid-like and usually 2-D. but it is also an insulting term for a short person.
con (kon)
convention; anime fans meet, watch videos, dress up as their favorite
characters, buy merchandise, etc.
crossover
where multiple anime series/universes interact. This usually happens in fanfic
but I�ve also seen this happen in TV shows like Johnny Bravo when he meets the
Scooby-Doo gang and in Dexter
daijoubu (da-ee jo bu)
fine, alright; usually used to mean �I�m fine� as in �I�m safe� in answer to
daijoubu desu ka, which means �Are you alright?�.
deathfic
a fanficin which a character dies. Most of the time the fic is centered around
that character�s death.
demo (dee mo)
but
doujinshi (due jin shee)
artwork that is not produced by the series� animators, but by other animators
who have yet to go pro. Doujinshi artists sell their artwork in books to make
money (obviously!) and in hopes of being asked to animate an upcoming series.
face fault
facial expression where the character�s jaw drops (if it�s not hitting the floor
it�s pretty close!). It represents shock (a real �oh my gosh!� moment).
falling over
just what it sounds like. One second the character�s standing there, the next
moment all you see is their feet sticking up in the air (it�s quite funny when
you see it!). It can mean one of several things: surprise, embarrassment,
dismay, or pleasantness.
fan
if you�re here surfing this site, then you not only know what this is, but are
one (unless you are one the people I forced to visit this site). It�s someone
who enjoys anime. They watch it and tend to buy a lot of merchandise (which
means they�re usually broke...like me)
Fanart
artwork drawn by fans of the show (not the same as doujinshi, which is created
by very talented artists). Most fanart is displayed on web pages.
fandom
the fans of anime and manga as a whole. Gives you that warm, tingly feeling
inside, right? Makes you want to stand up and say, �Yes. We are the fandom.�
fanfiction
also known as a �fanfic� or just �fic.� It�s a story using characters from an
anime series that is written by a fan (hence fanfiction). The story can be about
absolutely anything at all. Fanfics are created with love and care by fanfic
writers who devote hours and hours of their time making every sentence
absolutely perfect and capturing the intense emotions of the characters in such
strong, deep words�in easy words making your fanfic absolutely perfect...that is
until a sibling comes and starts bugging you because they need the computer
(Sigh, no one appreciates Fanfic authors)
fannon (fa-nen)
what is widely accepted by fans but is by no means fact. Most fannon originates
in fanfiction (e.g- the g-boys living in a safe house or one of Quatre�s
mansions even though there is never any instance where they all actually lived
together in the show)
fan service
scenes in anime that are sexually appealing to the viewers; most fan service
refers to anime girls who might as well be wearing no top because they�re
leaving nothing to the imagination and who have a skimpy little bikini bottom on
or a miniskirt that shows their underwear.
fansite
a website dedicated to one or multiple anime series that is created by a fan
(hint � you�re surfing one right now!).
fansub
a video of an anime series where the subtitles are put on it by fans. People buy
these tapes when there is no official subtitled tape available, but the quality
usually isn�t that good (hey, you take what you can get, right?).
gaijin (gah ee jin)
foreigner; a person who isn�t from Japan.
ganbarou (gan bah roo)
do your best
ganbatte (gan baht teh)
good luck; can also mean �do your best.�
glomp
to pounce on someone and give them a big bear hug, usually pressing your whole
self up against them. Duo does this often to Heero in fanfics.
gomen (go �meyn)
excuse me; this is used more along the lines of �I�m sorry.� It can be made more
polite by adding �nasai� to the end.
hai (ha-ee)
yes, right, ok; a word with many meanings. Watch Gundam Wing subtitled and
you�ll see the OZ officers using hai many a time.
hammer space
it�s this wonderful imaginary place where women can pull huge hammers, or other
destructive objects, and hit a male character. Sigh, I wish it really existed�.
hidoi (hee do-ee)
cruel; you would use this the same way you would say �meanie!�
honto ni (hone� toe nee)
really
IC
in character; usually used to describe a fanfic where the characters are
consistent with their personalities in their anime series.
incantation
the words a magical girl calls out that transform her into the heroine she
really is.
itai (ee ta-ee)
painful; a person yells this out as if they were saying �ouch!�
ja ne (jah ney)
see yah; used by young people to say goodbye. It�s also used by most anime fans
to end an e-mail or other online message.
jiendo (jah-een doh)
the end
kakkoi (kahk ko-ee)
cool
kawaii (kah wah ee)
cute; this is pretty explanatory but in Japan, kawaii isn�t just a word, it�s a
way to live. Many people in Japan find �being cute� a necessity, and it isn�t
uncommon to see people such as business executives walking down the sidewalk
talking on a cell phone with a Hello Kitty key chain dangling from the phone.
kisama (kih sah mah)
you; this is a very vulgar way to say �you,� kind of like the way we say
�bastard!� Wufei says this a lot in fanfics.
knock-kneed
a position where the knees are together and the feet are apart. Japanese guys
find it very sexy and go crazy when they see a girl in this position (why, who
knows�).
koibito (ko-ee bee toh)
lover, sweetheart; the shortened word is �koi�
koi shiteru (ko-ee shee ter� u)
I love you; this is a more affectionate love
konbaha (kuhn bah hah)
good evening
konnichiha (ko nee chee hah)
hello, good afternoon
kudasai (kuh dah sah ee)
please; used at the end of a sentence
kumi (kuh mee)
group; can mean a team of people and a braid.
kuso (k� soh)
shit; I�ve also heard it used to mean �damn.�
magical girl
an ordinary girl who is destined to be a heroine. Normally a cute cuddly being
will help her in her quest to bring about peace (e.g.-Sailor Moon).
magical girl pose
the pose the girl goes into once she has said her incantation to become the
magical girl.
manga (mahn gah)
official Japanese comic books. Each anime series usually has it�s own line of
comics, whether the series originated from them or vice-versa.
mecha (meck� ah)
machine; also called mech. It refers to any type of technology, although usually
used to refer to big machines (e.g.- mobile suits).
miko (mee ko)
shinto priestess who assists a priest of a certain deity�s shrine; in anime, a
miko is a female who is extremely loyal and devoted to a particular character
(usually an attractive male). Most of the time, the girl is a web mistress who
has web page, called a shrine, dedicated to that character. By adding �no miko�
to the end of the character�s name, the miko tells who she is devoted to (e.g.-
if I ever made a shrine, I would make a Duo shrine, and I would be Duo no miko).
mina (mee nah)
all, everyone; add san to the end to make it more polite (e.g.- mina-san). This
is used quite often at the beginning of mailing lists and general letters to
anime fans.
moshimoshi (moh-shee moh-shee)
hello; used when answering the phone (I tend to use it when replying to an
instant message, too).
nan demo nai (nahn dee mo nah-ee)
it�s nothing
nani (nah nee)
what; usually used as a question.
ne (neh)
right, ok; usually comes at the end of a sentence and used as a question (e.g.-
�Let�s go out shopping, ne?�)
nimru ryoukai (nim ruh ree oo kah-ee)
mission acknowledged; one of Heero�s more popular lines.
nimru kanyou (nim ruh kahn ree oo)
mission complete; another one of Heero�s catch phrases.
nosebleed
blood gushing out of an anime character�s nose when they have lustful thoughts
(makes the scene extremely funny!).
ohayou gozaimasu (ohio go zah-ee mahs)
good morning; the abbreviated word is �ohayo.�
oi (oh-ee)
hey; this is used quite often in fanfics.
omae (oh mah ee)
you; impolite form. Don't go around saying this, the person who you say it too
is likely to think you wanna pick a fight.
omae o korosu (oh mah ee oh kor ohs)
I will kill you; the most popular line from Gundam Wing and, of course, spoken
by Heero. Unfortunately, I have yet to see him follow through with this line (coughRelenacough).
onegaishimasu (oh nee gah-ee shee mahs)
please; the abbreviation is �onegai.�
onna (o nah)
woman; pronounce the �o� as you would in �on.� Wufei can totally belt this word
out, but he tends to use it negatively.
OOC
out of character; another fanfic abbreviation. It�s used when a story contains
characters whose personalities or actions aren�t consistent with those in the
series.
PWP:
Another fanfic abbreviation, meaning plot what plot, I don't really know what it
means but, when referring to my random fanfics, it means there is no proper plot
in the story, random insaness.
otaku (oh tah koo)
you; In Japan, this word is used to describe someone who is extremely obsessed
with anime. They may even go so far as to neglect personal hygiene just to get
enough anime. While in Japan, this is a negative term, in the U.S., this term is
positively used to describe someone with extensive knowledge of anime and who
spends a great deal of time (and usually money) to watch, buy, etc. anime and
merchandise.
OVA/ OAV
Original Video Action; anime released directly to video rather then debuting on
television or in the movie theater. This type of anime is usually part of an
existing series and is often considered to be of better quality than the normal
series (probably because OVA�s tend to be short, so animators have the time to
make them better).
owari (oh wah ree)
the end; found at the end of most fanfics.
plushie
just like stuffed animals except that they cannot only be animals but people and
well, just about anything. Oh, and just to let you know, I *have* seen a Duo-plushie
on some girl�s web site, and I have to say I am sooooooo envious! I WANT A DUO-PLUSHIE!!!!
pocky
wafer sticks that are dipped in a number of flavors (e.g.- chocolate,
strawberry, and almond just to name a few). Men�s pocky comes in only a couple
flavors (from what I hear) and are not as sweet as regular pocky. Pocky is a
favorite food among anime fans over in Japan. Dying to have a taste? Check out
AnimeCastle.com.
san (sahn)
another polite ending you can add to a name.
sama (sah mah)
incredibly respectful, adoring, �I�m your number one fan!� type of ending to put
on a name (Relena�s groupies call her Relena-sama, :::shudders:::).
SD
super-deformed; type of drawing style where the characters look like small,
usually chubby, kids. Super-deformed characters are very adorable and cute,
makes you wanna go into the screen and hug them!
seiyuu (sayee yooh)
voice actor; over in Japan, seiyuu�s are very important in the public�s opinion.
Japanese animators (or whoever makes the choice) choose the seiyuu for their
character very carefully since the voice plays a big part in a character�s
personality. Many anime fans refuse to watch dub because dub voice actors are
not chosen with as much care.
shimatta (shee maht tah)
damn it; I�ve barely ever heard this word used in anime. In the shows I�ve
watched, the more commonly used curse word is kuso.
Shinigami (shee nee gah mee)
God of Death; get that grim reaper image out of your head! That�s not what is
it! Duo in Gundam Wing calls himself this (and if I hear one peep about �the
great destroyer� I�ll wring your neck! I *HATE* the cut version!). Just watch
how he uses it and you�ll get the right idea of what is it. It�s hard to explain
in words since it doesn�t translate very well.
shounen (sho-oo nayn)
boy; shounen anime is produced for (that�s right!) the male audience. Typical
guy-stuff in this type of anime: wars, killing, and gory science fiction
sumimasen (suh mee mah seyn)
I�m sorry; polite form.
uchuu no kokoro (oo choo no koh kor-oh)
space heart; you know, that thing inside Quatre�s chest? It allows (to put it
lightly) him to feel the pain that others are feeling. You can really see this
in action when Heero self-destructs in episode 10. He is empathetic towards
others.
wai (wah-ee)
an exclamation of joy;
yoshi (yoh-sh)
good, ok, all right