Pachinko - A Japanese vertical pinball game. Its is both a form of recreational arcade game and much more frequently as a gambling device, filling a Japanese gambling niche comparable to that of the slot machine in Western gaming. In short: for the Japanese it is more than just a pinball game.
A pachinko machine resembles a vertical pinball machine, but has no flippers and uses a large number of small balls. The player fires balls into the machine, which then cascade down through a dense forest of pins. If the balls go into certain locations, they may be captured and sequences of events may be triggered that result in more balls being released. The object of the game is to capture as many balls as possible. These balls can then be exchanged for prizes.
Pachinko parlors are widespread in Japan, and they usually also feature a number of slot machines (called pachislo or pachislots); hence, these venues operate and look similar to casinos.
By concentrating on the flickering lights, the little balls as they fall down into the machine and the sounds, the player can get into some sort of meditational trance much like monks and priests when they are meditating in a shrine. Characters in anime and manga series are sometimes seen playing pachinko when they are troubled by something or when they are in some kind of emotional dip. By playing pachinko they try to regain their inner balance and gather the emotional strength to resolve or at least face their problem.
Ohayo Gozaimasu - Good morning. Standard greeting used by people when they meet for the first time in the morning at home, on the way to work or school or as the working day begins. Bar hostesses will use this to greet eachother as they come to work in the evening. You reply to it by repeating it back! In informal speech it is abbreviated to "Ohayo".
Oppai - Breasts/Boobs. It also can mean slang for "Mother's Milk".
Otaku - Die-hard fan, nerd in Western World, but mostly Unhealthy Obsessive Interests in Japan. In Western Europe and the US some people call themselves, with a certain pride, "otaku" to indicate that they are anime fans. In Japan however otaku has not only a broader meaning but it is also used in a negative sense.
In Japan, an otaku is a social outcast, a pariah of sorts. A loner with a certain obsession for which he sacrifices everything else. That obsession can be anime and/or manga but it can also be something else like cars, an idol singer, a photo model, an theatre performer, a sportsman, ... . Take an idol singer otaku for example. He must absolutely have everything that is related to her. He must also know everything about her, even the smallest details such as to which elementary school she went when she was still a kid. Nothing else really matters.
He will meet with fellow otaku on a regular basis and they will try to beat each other with the size of their collection and the extent of their knowledge. Occidental examples of otakus can be found, for example, among the Trekkies (fans of Star Trek).
Joudan - A joke!, I'm just kidding. Can also be used as an expression of disbelief: "You've got to be joking!". Like "Joudan deshou?"="Are you kidding?".
Itai - Ouch!, That hurt!, painful, its sore!. Used when the speaker feels sudden pain of some sort.
Irasshaimasu - Welcome, although the literal translation is "Be here". This standard welcome phrase is said to all costumers when they enter the store/restaurant/kissaten/etc. It is an honorific verb (ie only used to people socially above you) that literally means "to be (in a place)". The real feeling here is something like "Honour us by coming into our humble establishment".
Gesen - Abbreviation for Game Center Crown. The place run by Motoki where the senshi tend to hang around in their free time, especially Usagi and Minako. In the manga their headquarters is under the Gesen.
Ecchi - Lewd, indecent, H. "Ecchi" is the pronounciation of the letter "H" which is the first letter of Hentai. Ecchi is more mildly than hentai. It can be used in a more positive sense by a girl. Mostly when she has feelings for the boy in question and/or in a situation where "she only defends herself with words" if you know what I mean ^_^.
Fuketsu - Unclean, Dirty, Filthy, Impure. [Shin Seiki Evangelion]: Maya's comment when Misato and Kaiji are found in an elevator in a,
Fuku - Clothes, good fortune, ... . "Fuku" has many uses depending on its kanji writing it also can mean, "to wipe","to mop". If you only have the kana writing you'll have to look at the context to determine the correct translation.
Ai - Love, together, accomplice, ... "Ai" has several uses depending on its kanji writing. If you only have the kana writing you'll have to look at the context to determine the correct translation. [Sailor Moon]: "Aino Minako" although it is a name literally means Minako of love.
Akuma - Devil, demon, satan.... Can also be used to refer to a living thing, much as the English would say: "You devil". The Japanese word akuma means "Demon, Devil; Fiend; Satan; Evil spirit" and is composed of "evil; bad; wrong" and "witch; demon; evil spirit". Japanese nouns have no grammatical number or gender. So akuma is both singular and plural which means that akuma refers to a single Demon as well as to several.
Arigatou Gozaimasu - Thank you. Used to express gratitude after the speaker has recieved something. This can either be an object or a favor of some sort. In informal speach this is often abbreviated to "Arigatou". In formal speach "Domo arigatou gozaimasu" is used. In Japan you need to care about when to switch between being informal and formal. People may misunderstand your meaning of it if you say it the wrong way.
Arubaito - "baito" for short, means part time or casual work, usually by students or other young people who can't or won't work at a 'real' or full time job. Comes from the German word "Arbeit" (:work).
Asoko - It means "there", "over there", "that place", and is used to refer to a place or position which is considered far from both sides of the speech. In a very informal sense it also sometimes could mean "genitals","sex organs".
Atashi - Informaly used by female speakers to emphasize their femininity. Being "boku" the equivalent for male!
Nandemonai - Easy, trifling, "Not at all", "Oh its nothing","Oh nevermind". "Nandemo" is an adverb meaning "anything, any, or everything". Often used as a reply on some kind of personal compliment.
Nandemo - "Anything" or whatever synonyms you can think of, while the -nai suffix (in Nandemonai) is used to add a negative meaning. (The complete opposite, eg. someone ask you "Kowaii ka?" "You scared?", and you would reply "Kowakunai yo!" "I'm not scared!"). So the opposite of something is nothing.
Nani - What?, What the ... Nani is used for asking an object of a verb. Its regularly used as an expression of surprise, often heard in anime. assisted with a quizzically cute look.
Naruhodo - "I see", "That's right", "Agreed". Expression used when the speaker realizes that something is so.
Naze - Why? Naze is more formal than doshite, and it only has the meaning "why." Doshite, on the other hand, also has the meanings of "by what means/how," "rather/conversly (as in "he looks pretty weak, but he's rather/conversely strong"), and also can be used to oppose or strongly deny some viewpoint.
Neko - Cat (猫)
Baka na - That's crazy!, That's impossible!, That's unbelievable! That's silly. This expression is used when the speaker cannot believe his or her eyes or ears. See also "Uso".
Bakemono - A (malevolent) ghost, spirit or monster. Bakemono are the traditional monsters of Japanese culture. The word itself means "changing things", and many bakemono are thus the results of bizarre transformations, from things that are common and normal to things that are mysterious and abnormal. These transformations are not thought of as supernatural, but merely natural though strange and mysterious. Bakemono often appear in folktales, usually in the form of monstrous antagonist (though also at times as animal wife) and in this role they are usually not described in any detail. [Mimi wo sumaseba]: Seiji called the cat Moon, a "bakeneko", a spirit cat, because of its sometimes unusal behaviour.
Bara - Rose. The sound "Bara" has other meaning of "apart". "Versailles no bara" translates as "Rose of Versailles", the Japanese name of the TV series known in France as "Lady Oscar".
Bijin - Beautiful woman, lovely woman. It can only use for women or girls. Can be used both to refer to or address a woman. English equivalents would be "beauty" or "babe". The latter is used in the positive sense.
Bishoujou - Beautiful girl. Can also refer to games and anime with pretty girls. Bishoujo games are usually "hentai games" that are like a "virtual interactive storybook", Also shortened to 'bishou'. Used to describe an attractive anime character. [Sailor Moon]: "Bishoujou Senshi Sailor Moon" means Beautiful Girl Warrior Sailor Moon.
Boku - I. It is mostly used among people you are familiar with in a non-formal situation, and is only for males, and mostly by young males to people older than oneself or around the same age. Altough girls can also use it, altough less common. Used by male speakers.
Boku no
San - Mr or Mrs. Suffix attached to a person's name. Used in normal polite speech among equals.
Sama - Mr or Mrs (very polite). Suffix attached to a person's name. Used in formal speech and/or to refer to someone who has clearly a very high status.
Sayonara - Goodbye, farewell. Note: correct pronounciation is "sayoonara" instead of "sayonaara". It is not normally used when leaving one's own homes or places of temporary residence unless one is leaving for a very long time. If you know that you will see a person again soon, expressions like "Ja mata" or "Mata ashita" are used instead.
Senpai - Senior, elder (as opposed to kohai = underclassmen). Used to address or refer to a person who has a higher status in a hierarchical structure. At school this is a an upperclassman. [Kimagure Orange Road]: Aside from "Darling", Hikaru also uses the term "Senpai" when talking to or about Kyousuke because he is older and in a higher class than her. Note: senpai is actually pronounced "sempai".
Shoujo - Girl or girl-related item. It literally means young/little and woman respectively. In Japanese, these refer specifically to a young woman approximately 7–18 years old. Shoujo manga/anime is therefore manga or anime targeted at young girls.
Shounen - (or shonen, shonen) its kanji word literally means few years and generally referring to a typical boy, from elementary school through grade school age. So Boy or boy-related item. Shounen manga/anime is manga/animte targeted at young boys, the most popular genre of which is battle manga which is generally about action/fighting but often contains a sense of humor and strong growing friendship-bonds between the characters.
Senshi - Warrior, Soldier. [Sailor Moon]: "Sailor Senshi" translates as Sailor Soldier. "Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon" means Beautiful Girl Warrior Sailor Moon.
Soko - There, that place. Used to refer to a place which is closer to the listener than to the speaker.
Sugoi - or Suge... Amazing, wonderful, great, awful, dreadful. Pronounced "sue-goy". Expresses amazement about someone's accomplishment or talent. This word can be used both in positive and negative sense depending on the person one is talking about. If it is a friend's talent one is describing it would be: "He is great!". If it is arival or an enemy it would carry a certain dread like: "He is awfully good!". "Sugoi ne" is also often used, "ne" is a casual way to end a sentence. So it's like saying: "oh wow","that's amazing","it's incredible".
Suki - Fondness, liking. Correct translation depends on the context. When talking about objects or food it can be translated as eg: "I like/love ice cream.". When talking about a person it tends more to "like" than to "love". To express love between two people "Daisuki" is used. This literally translates as "Big liking". More common translations are: "to like a lot" or "to love/fall in love". [Kimagure Orange Road]: At the end of the manga series, Madoka asks Kyousuke if he likes her or loves her. Kyousuke assures her it is the latter. So there is indeed a world of difference between these two words. The Japanese generally don't express their love openly. They believe that love can be expressed by manners. When they put their feelings into words, it is preferred to use the phrase "suki desu".
Suteki - Lovely, beautiful, fantastic, great, superb. Used to express admiration about the physical appearance, rather than some inner talent as with Sugoi although the two are perfectly interchangeable. Women tend to use it more than man. Note: The "u" in suteki is a whispered vowel so it is actually pronounced "steki".
Chan - A diminutive suffix attached to a female person's name. Used only in informal speech e.g. among close friends or family. [Sailor Moon]: The other senshi refer to Minako as Minako-chan. It is also used to address or refer to a female person who is younger and/or has a lower status than the speaker. In some cases it is also used to refer to a male person. [Kimagure Orange Road]: Kurumi calls her elder(!) brother "Oniichan" which indicates that she hasn't that much respect for him. See also Kun.
Chigau - To differ from, "It isn't". Chigau is a more gentle way to contradict a person. It is not as abrupt as saying: "You are wrong" in English, roughly speaking, chigau has two meanings: 1) different , unlike ,disagree or 2) wrong , mistake. If you use it in the meaning of wrong , machigau is a more accurate word.
Chotto - A short time, a little. When used on its own it means "Just a minute!" in the sense of "Stop it!" or "Hold it right there!" or "wait a momment!".
Mahou - Magic, sorcery, witchcraft, also maho shojo (ie mahou shoujo or majokko), in english = magical girls, it is a popular sub-genre of japanese fantasy anime and manga, think... Sailor Moon.
Mahoutsukai - Magician, sorcerer, witch, wizard.
Mamono - Demon, devil, ghost, goblin, apparition.
Maou - Devil, also the name of a popular suspense, drama, romance japanese series.
Masaka - It can't be!. an expression of disbelief, it can also be "No way!", "You can't be serious.", ”As if!” or ”Wanna bet?” depending on context or circunstances.
Mata ne! - See you. Literally: "Again, ok?"/"Until later then?".
Megami - A Goddess (any goddess). If one refers to or addresses a goddess the honorific "-sama" is attached to it. as opposed to Kami (god!), comes from the notion of spirits and deities from the shinto faith.
Minna/Minna-san - Everyone, everybody. Used to refer to or to address a group of people, but is sometimes also said "Minna-san" which is a more formal, respective term.
Mizu - Water. [Sailor Moon]: "Mizuno Ami" although it is a name literally means Ami of water.
Mononoke - Ghost, spirit, monster.
Mo - Already, soon, also. Mo can have a lot of meanings depending on the context. Used on its own, at the beginning or more rarely at the end of a sentence, it is an expression of frustration. Mostly used by women. It is difficult to translate directly. English equivalent could be: "That's enough!" or "I have had enough of this!"
Daijoubu (da) - All right, Ok, I'm okay or It's okay.. Can be used both as a question and an answer. "Daijoubo? Hai, Daijoubu." Are you Ok? Yes, I'm Ok.
Dame - No good, useless, impermissable, unacceptable. A common expression to indicate that something is either useless or impermissable is "Dame da","Dame yo," "Dame da" or
"Dame!" can be used in informal situations.
Dare - Who. "Dare da?" translates as: "Who is there?", DareDare means so and so or such and such.
Doko? - Where? When hiragana "e" is used as a particle, it is written in hiragana as "he." so Doko e=Where to?
Domo Arigatou Gozaimusu - Thank you very much. Used in formal speech (If you want to express a greater-than-normal degree of gratitude). In informal speech abbriviated to "Domo Arigatou" or simply "Domo". this being the easiest phrase of gratitude, "Domo" is an adverb that literally means indeed or very much but can be understood as thank you. It's a short, convenient, and yet polite phrase of gratitude that can be used in any context.
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