Foreign Student (hereinafter FS): In English John F. KENNEDY is abbreviated with the capital letters JFK, but in Japanese the method of abbreviation is different, isn’t it? Teacher (hereinafter T): In Japanese abbreviations are generally made by combining the beginning parts of two words (in this case surname and name), so KIMURA Takuya becomes Kimutaku. FS: Besides names, in what other areas are words abbreviated? T: This can mostly be seen with katakana words adopted from foreign languages. These include, pasokon (personal computer), konbini (convenience store), cosplay (costume play), and so on. Recently, abbreviations are casual phrases used in daily life and for greetings, for example naruhaya for narubeku hayaku (as soon as possible) and akeome for akemashte omedetou (Happy New Year). FS: Is there any reason why the Japanese language has so many four syllable abbreviated words? T: Because the Japanese language has many compound kanji words of two characters and thus four syllables, these are easy to pronounce. The Japanese language is influenced by pronunciation. For instance, when you count long objects such as bottles, you add the counter “hon” after each number, but the pronunciation of each counter alters according to the amount: ippon (one), nihon (two), and sanbon (three). FS: Some of my friends pronounce mail address as meruado in four syllables, and some say meado in three syllables. Which is more commonly used? T: It’s said that nearly 90% of all abbreviated words contain four syllables. Formerly, meruado was more commonly used. Recently young people, who feel that four syllable words are old fashioned, have started to use the three syllable meado. FS: Sumaho (smartphone) is one of these words, isn’t it? T: That’s right. Burapi is popularly used to mean the Hollywood star Brad PITT. FS: In English, television is abbreviated to TV with the capital letters T for Tele and V for Vision, but in Japanese the first three syllables are used to make terebi. Is this normal? T: Yes, it is. In the case of three syllables, these terms usually derive from the first part of a word. There are many of these terms: esute (esthetic), akuse (accessory), gamute (gummed tape) ... FS: Shortened words are easier to pronounce, but is it rude to use these terms with people who are not close to us? T: Words like pasokon and conbini are generally accepted as being Japanese and are therefore not rude. But, since some abbreviated words such as naruhaya and akeome are still considered to be slang, it is better not to use them with anyone other than your friends or colleagues. Conversely, if you use abbreviated words with people close to you, this will create a feeling of intimacy.