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1.
abunai- dangerous. The term has a broader
application in Japanese than a direct translation
would suggest, being employed in situations where an
English speaker would say "Duck!" or
"Look out!" Another common usage is as a
euphemism for "deviant," i.e. a
"dangerous" relationship (abunai kankei).
2. ai- love. If a native speaker wanted to
specify romantic love, he would use the character
pronounced koi (or ren, depending on the context).
3. aite- opponent. Be careful, the word has
many applications that are counter-intuitive. A more
literal reading of the characters would be "the
one whom I must face." As a result, the word
can also refer to one's dancing partner or the
person whom you are addressing in a two-person
conversation.
4. akuma- Satan, Devil. As with it's English
counterparts, this word can be used figuratively.
5. arigatou- Thanks. The full formula is
arigatou gozaimasu.
6. baka- an all-purpose insult denigrating the
subject's intelligence. Depending on tone of
voice and other factors, it can range in severity
from "silly" to "retard." Other
similar insults are aho and manuke, although manuke
is more specifically "dolt, buffoon."
7. bakemono- monster.
8. be-da!- the sound made by Japanese when they
perform akanbe, a gesture of contempt made by
sticking out the tongue and bringing down one lower
eyelid. The gesture is analogous to a Bronx cheer or
"Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah."
9. bijin- a beautiful woman. In terms of
frequency and usage, it's best likened to
"babe." However, it's still acceptable in
formal speech registers, so is not inherently
disrespectful.
10. chigau- a verb meaning "to deviate, be
different." In standard Japanese, it's used
to declare that someone is wrong. When shouted as an
explanation, it's meaning is closer to "No
way!" or "Don't be ridiculous!/You are SO
off-base!"
11. chikara- strength, power.
12. chikusho- an exclamation of frustration,
equivalent to "Damn!" or "Shit!"
Comparable exclamations are kuso (literally
"shit") and shimatta.
13. chotto- a little. Differs from its
English counterpart in that it can only be used as
an adverb. (The adjectival form is chiisai.) When
exclaimed, it means "Hold it!" or
"Cut it out!"
14. daijoubu- O.K. Most often encountered in
anime when one character inquires as to another's
health.
15. damaru- be still, silent. Most often
found in its imperative form, Damare!, meaning
"Shut up!/Silence!"
16. damasu- to deceive. Often encountered in
its passive form, damasareru, "to be
tricked."
17. dame- bad, no good; no can do. One very
common usage is dame desu/dame da, uttered when
refusing permission or indicating that something is
a bad idea.
18. dare- who. Note that certain particles
placed after the word will alter its meaning, i.e.
dareka-someone, anyone daremo-no one daredemo-everyone.
19. doko- where.
20. fuzakeru- to play games, fool around. It
can also be shaded by tone of voice to assume a
harsher meaning, like "bullshitting" or
"screw/fuck around."
21. gaki- young, immature person. Often
translated as "brat" or "punk."
22. gambaru- a literal reading of the characters
would be "to adhere to something with
tenacity." A very popular term used when
encouraging someone is a difficult task. Some
English translations are "Hang in there!,"
"Don't give up!," "Do your
best!," and "Give it your all!" Note:
the verb phrase shikkari suru has an overlapping
meaning, but slightly different connotations.
Apparently, the latter term implies use of innate
abilities as opposed to a conscious act of
willpower. The two are generally interchangeable,
though. The command forms of "gambaru" are
"gambatte" and "gambare."
23. hayai- quick, fast, early. The adverbial
form hayaku means "Hurry up!" when
exclaimed.
24. hen- strange, weird. In compound noun
phrases, it assumes an older meaning of
"change, transformation." One such
compound that's especially popular in anime is
henshin, meaning "physical transformation"
a la Sailor Moon and Voltron.
25. hentai- although a hen compound, it
merits a separate entry. Its classical meaning is
"metamorphosis, transformation." It later
came to mean "abnormality," and in modern
colloquial Japanese is used almost exclusively to
mean "pervert" or
"perversion." When a woman insults a
man in anime, she generally uses on of three terms:
hentai, sukebe, and etchi. Sukebe implies
"oversexed" rather than
"deviant." Etchi can be quite mild in some
contexts, comparable to "lewd" or
"Fresh!" These three terms are often used
interchangeably, especially when someone is
stringing together insults. Though not as frequent,
the word (o-)kama refers specifically to
transvestitism and other gender-bending actions
associated with homosexuality.
26. hidoi- severe, harsh. As an exclamation,
it means "How terrible!" or "That's
harsh/cold!" A spoken variant is
"Hide-e!"
27. hime- princess.
28. ii- good. An older variant, still
current, is yoi. Yoku is the abverbial form. Yokatta
is the familiar past tense. When used as an
exclamation, it can mean "That's great!,"
but is usually better translated as "I'm so
glad!"
29. iku- to go. Common conjugated forms are
ikimashou, ikou, (Shall we go?/Let's go), ike and
ikinasai (Go!/Begone!).
30. inochi- life. There are a couple of words
in Japanese which can be translated as
"life," but inochi is the proper term in
the more dramatic situations common in anime, such
as "to stake one's life," "to take a
life" and "more important than life."
31. itai- hurt, pain; painful. A common
explanation, it's equivalent to "Ouch!" A
frequent spoken variant is Ite-e!
32. jigoku- Hell. Hades.
33. joshikousei- a female high school student.
That's the literal meaning, anyway. In Japan, it
invariably refers specifically to a cute high school
girl in a sailor uniform. That Japanese has such a
compact, productive phrase for this image implies
that it's an important archetype in the Japanese
psyche.
34. kamawanai- regardless of. When uttered as
an exclamation, it means "I don't care!"
Kamawan is a more brusque spoken variant.
35. kami- God, god. This term can also be
applied to any supernatural being with a specific
domain/charge/sphere.
36. kanarazu- an adverbial prefix indicating
something will happen surely and/or inevitably.
As an exclamation, it means "I swear it!"
or "No matter the cost!"
37. kareshi- boyfriend. Kanojo is the
equivalent word for "girlfriend." Koibito
can be applied to both sexes, but it implies a more
serious relationship.
38. kawaii- cute. More than a mere adjective,
kawaii qualifies as an aesthetic and an obsession in
Japan. A less common, secondary meaning is
"cherished, beloved." Note: kawai sou
means "How sad" or "How
pitiful." Use caution before calling someone
pitiful-looking, as Kawai is not etymologically
related to Kawaii.
39. kedo- but, but still. More formal
variants are keredo and keredomo. The latter form is
generally restricted to writing Japanese nowadays.
40. kega- wound, injury. It's also possible
to use this term to refer to a spiritual violation
or defilement.
41. keisatsu- Police.
42. ki- this term is used in countless
compounds and idioms. Although there are too many to
describe in detail, "ki" is generally used
in two senses. One is its literal meaning of "air."
The other is its figurative meaning of "spiritual
essence." Many English speakers know this
concept through the Chinese loan word
"chi." One common compound is kimochi, the
chi one bears, hence "mood."
43. kokoro- heart. Common extensions of this
meaning are "sincerity" and
"spirit/willpower."
44. korosu- to kill. Often occurring in the
passive past tense (korosareta) and imperative tense
(Korose).
45. kowai- to be frightful, afraid. The
exclamation Kowaii! Can be translated as either
"Scary thought!" or "I'm
scared!," depending on the context.
46. kuru- to come. It's command form, Koi!,
can mean either "Come here!" or "Come
on!"
47. mahou- magic, magic spell.
48. makaseru- to place one's trust in someone or
something, to count on.
49. makeru- to lose. The phrase Makeru mon
ka! Means "I can't/won't give up!" or
"I'll never give up!"
50. mamoru- to protect, guard. The inflected
form most commonly found in anime is mamotte ageru,
"I'll protect you."
51. masaka- Can it be?; It can't be!, No!
52. matsu- to wait. The shouted command
"Wait" is "Matte (kudasai)!" or
"Machinasai!" Mate! is an abbreviated form
of Matte!
53. mochiron- of course, without a doubt.
54. mou- already. As an exclamation of
frustration, it means "Enough!" or "Geez!"
55. musume- young woman. As an epithet, ko
musume is stronger than a literal translation of
"little girl" would suggest. When used in
this sense, "girlie" or "bitch"
come closer to capturing the meaning.
56. naka- a word referring to one's relations,
both familial and platonic. Nakayoku suru means
"to get along." "Nakama" means
"close friend(s)" or "trusted ally(-ies)."
57. nani- what.
58. naruhodo- I see.; So.
59. nigeru- to flee. Often used in the
imperative form, Nigete! or Nigero!, in which case
it's best translated as "Run!" or
"Get away!"
60. ningen- human; humanity. Refers to
mankind as a species, especially when contrasted
with alien races, demons, elves, etc.
61. ohayou- abbreviated form of ohayou gozaimasu,
"good morning." Men have the option of
using the reduced form ossu in casual speech.
62. okoru- to get angry.
63. onegai- truncated form of onegai shimasu,
"I beg of you," "Please" or
"Pretty please." Without the o-
prefix, it means "wish."
64. oni- demon, ogre, or any other supernatural
life form inimical to mankind.
65. Ryoukai!- message received and
understood-"Roger!"
66. Saa- a noncommittal reply indicating that one
has understood a statement and given it serious
thought. Some possible translations are
"So!," "Well!," and "Beats
me!" (A good English equivalent might be the
British "Innit?")
67. sasuga- a person is living up to his
reputation or the speaker's personal expectations.
Yahari, on the other hand, refers to situations
proceeding as expected or dreaded. (Yahari is often
translated as "I knew it!" when used in
exclamatory mode.) Yappari is a more casual variant
of yahari. Other like terms are aikawarazu,
"the same as always," and Sono touri,
which means just so when employed as a response to a
question.
68. sempai- anyone who is one's senior in a
hierarchical organization. The term cuts across
all classes and occupations, and must be translated
according to context.
69. shikashi- however, but, nevertheless.
70. shikata ga nai- an expression meaning
"No help for it," "No way to avoid
it," "Nothing left but to deal with
it." Shou ga nai is an abbreviated form.
71. shinjiru- to believe in. The inflected
form most frequently encountered in anime is
shinjirarenai, "I can't believe it!"
72. shinu- to die. The most common inflected
forms are Shinda, "Dead.", Shinanaide!,
"Don't die!", and Shi'ne!,
"Die!"
73. shitsukoi- persistent, relentless,
tenacious-at the very least a constant pain in
the ass.
74. sugoi- one of three common superlatives that
all happen to begin with su-. The other two are
suteki and subarashii. The three are generally
interchangeable. However, sugoi often expresses an
admiration for someone else's power or talent, and
may be mixed with a sense of dread. It can straddle
the line between "awesome" and
"awful." Suteki is most often applied to
physical appearance. It's used most often by women,
but it can be applied to both genders. Subarashii is
more neutral and can be translated as
"great." Although lacking the su-
beginning, kakkoi is a superlative used mostly in
describing people-"Cool!" Note: A spoken
variant of sugoi is Suge-e!
75. suki- affection, liking. Also used to
signify "love." If anything, the phrase
"Suki da." is even more ambiguous than the
English "I like you."
76. suru- to do. A frequently occurring
phrase is "Dou shiyou?," meaning
"(Oh,) What shall I do!"
77. taihen- when modifying an adjective, it means
"extremely." When it describes a
situation without any other adjectives, it means
"terrible."
78. tasukeru- to aid. The exclamation "Tasukete
kure!" = "Help me!/Save me!"
79. tatakau- to fight, do battle.
80. teki- enemy.
81. tomodachi- friend.
82. totemo- very, extremely. It can be
pronounced tottemo to indicate extra enthusiasm.
83. unmei- fate, destiny.
84. uragirimono- traitor.
85. ureshii- happy. As an exclamation,
Ureshii! Can be translated as "I'm so
happy!" or even "Whee!"
86. urusai- noisy. When used as an
exclamation, it's best translated as "Be
quiet!" and occasionally "Shut up!"
Usse-e! is a spoken variant.
87. uso- a lie. As an exclamation, it can
mean "You must be kidding!," "You
lie!," or "No way!" Spoken variants
are Usso! and Ussou. The word usotsuki means
"liar."
88. uwasa- rumor.
89. wakaru- to understand. Common inflections
are wakatta (understood) and wakaranai (don't
understand). Note that the abbreviated forms of
wakaranai are gender specific, with women favoring
wakannai and men likely to say wakaran or wakanne-e.
90. wana- trap, snare.
91. yabai- miserable, wretched (situation).
As an exclamation, this can be translated as
"This is bad!" or an emphatic
"Uh-oh."
92. yakusoku- promise, oath.
93. yameru- to stop, quit, terminate. The
exclamation Yamero! can be translated as "Stop
(it)!" or "Enough!"
94. yaru- this verb has several meanings.
It's a deferential form of the verb "to
do." It's also a form of the verb "to
give" reserved for gifts made to social
inferiors (and plants and animals). Finally, it can
mean "to try, attempt."
95. yasashii- although pronounced the same as
the Japanese word for "easy," in anime
it's more likely to refer to the character for "splendid,
exceptional." For example, yasashii seikaku
means "good-natured" and yasashii hito
means "a great guy."
96. yatta- probably originated as the past
tense of yaru, but has long since taken on an
independent meaning. Used to proclaim victory or
good fortune. Possible translations include "Hooray!,"
"Banzai!," "I did it!," and
"Yay!"
97. yoshi- an exclamation used when readying
oneself to take an important action. Possible
translations include "Here I come!,"
"All right (,then)!" Spoken variants are
yosshi and yo-oshi!
98. youkai- an occult monster. Sometimes used
as a general term for occult phenomena.
99. yume- dream.
100. yurusu- to forgive, pardon. Forms of
this verb commonly found in anime are O-yurushi
kudasai or Yurushite kudasai, meaning "Forgive
me!" Even more common is yurusanai/yurusenai.
This phrase can be literally translated as "I
won't/can't forgive you!," but an idiomatic
translation generally requires that attention be
paid to the specific circumstances in which the
exclamation is shouted or growled. "I will
grant no quarter!" might work in some
historical periods, but "You're finished!"
would work better in most contemporary settings.
Other possibilities which work in certain
circumstances are "Your day is done!,"
"It's curtains for you!," "You're
through!"...you get the idea.
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