Miho: It refers to words that have been adopted from foreign languages. You know they are written in katakana, don’t you?
Tom: How many katakana words are there in Japanese?
Miho: Though their pronunciation is altered to suit the Japanese tongue, it is said that they make up about 20% of the Japanese language.
Tom: That’s a lot! But I guess it makes sense, that’s why we are surrounded by so many terms. Bag, shoes, suit, necktie, table, coffee...
Miho: Words like coffee, which were not originally part of the Japanese lexicon, are used as is, but in many cases Japanese original terms are used alongside katakana words.
Tom: Kutsu and shyu-zu (shoes), or mado and uindou (window) ... so many.
Tom: I heard that katakana words are more frequently used while Japanese original words gradually fall out of use. Is this true?
Miho: That’s right. Until some time ago a necklace used to be a kubikazari, and living room, ima, but only a few people use these terms nowadays.
Tom: It’s very helpful for English speakers, isn’t it?
Miho: It is said that about three thousand English words are used as katakana words in daily life. Recently the word “blackout” has been used instead of teiden in the media.
Tom: It’s likely that we will be able to communicate by stringing together katakana words in the near future.
Miho: I think this has already happened. I often hear conversations like this: “dezaina- (designer) no ga-rufurendo (girlfriend) noba-sude- (birthday) ni pa-ru (pearl) no nekkuresu (necklace) wo puresento (present) shita.
外国語
gaikokugo
foreign languages
入ってきた
haittekita
(that) have been adopted
のこと。
no koto.
(it) refers to
そういうのは
souiuno ha
they are <these words>
知ってるよね。
shitteru yone.
you know, don’t you?
カタカナ語は
katakanago ha
katakana words
発音は
hatsuonn ha
(their) pronunciation
日本語風になる
nihonngo'fuu ni naru
is altered to suit (the) Japanese tongue
日本語
nihonngo
(the) Japanese language
20%
nijyuppa-sennto
(they make up) twenty percent
いわれてる。
iwareteru.
it is said
ずいぶん多いんだな。
zuibunn ooi nndana.
that’s a lot!
わかる。
wakaru.
(I guess it) makes sense
たくさんの言葉が
takusannno kotoba ga
so many terms
身の回りにあるんだ。
minomawari ni arunnda.
we are surrounded by
日本語になかった
nihonngo ni nakatta
(which) were not originally part of (the) Japanese lexicon
多くの場合、
ookuno baai,
in many cases
日本語の元の言葉と
nihonngo no moto no kotoba to
Japanese original terms
カタカナ語は
katakanago ha
katakana words
使われてるよね。
tukawareteru yone.
are used
靴とシューズ、
kutsu to shu-zu,
kutsu and shyuzu (shoes)
窓とウインドウ……
mado to winndou
(or) mado and uindo- (window)
日本語が
nihonngo ga
Japanese words
使われなくなって、
tsukawarenakunatte,
fall out of use while
カタカナ語
katakanago
katakana words
の方が
no houga
more frequently
使われるようになった
tsukawareruyouni natta
are used
聞いたけど、
kiitakedo,
I heard [though]
本当?
honntou
is (this) true?
そうだね。
soudane.
that’s right
前は
maeha
until some time ago
ネックレスは
nekkuresu ha
(a) necklace
首飾り、
kubikazari,
(a) kubikazari
リビングは
ribinngu ha
(and) living room
ほとんどいないね。
hotonndo inaine.
only a few
英語を話す人
eigo wo hanasu hito niha
English speakers
大助かり
oodasukari
(it)’s very helpful
3千語
sannzenn go
three thousand [words]
英単語が
eitanngo ga
English words
カタカナ語
katakanago
katakana words
日常的に
nichijyou teki ni
in daily life
使われているん
tsukawarete irunn
are used
だって。
datte.
it is said (that)
最近じゃ
saikinn jya
recently
「停電」を、
teiden wo,
teiden (instead of)
メディア
medhia
(the) media
「ブラックアウト」って
burakku auto tte
(the word) blackout
いってるしね。
itterushi ne.
has been used
そのうち
sonouchi
in the near future
カタカナ語を
katkanago wo
katakana words
つなぐだけ
tsunagu dake
stringing together
通じるようになる
tsuujiru youni naru
(that we) will be able to communicate
なってるんじゃない。
natterunnjya nai.
(I) think this has happened
「デザイナーの
dezaina- no
designer
ガールフレンドの
ga-rufurenndo no
girlfriend
バースデーに
ba-sude- ni
birthday
ネックレスを
nekkuresu wo
necklace
プレゼントした」
purezennto shita
present
会話を
kaiwa wo
conversations