Japanese Glossary A to K

• -chan: a suffix attached to the name of a person one is close to, generally used when referring to young people and between females
• -kun: same as -chan, but generally when referring to males
• -sama: this suffix indicates great respect and formality
• -san: the same as -chan, except -san is more respectful and is used when referring to older people
• ai: love
• arigato/doumo arigato: thank you
• baka: idiot
• bishounen: refers to androgynous young people
• daiboken: adventure
• daijobu: alright
• demo: but
• densetsu: legend
• doujinshi: manga made by amateurs
• ecchi: pervert
• furyo: delinquent
• fushigi: secret, mystery
• ganbare: a term of encouragement
• hai: yes
• hakase: professor
• hentai: pervert
• hime: princess
• iie: no
• inu: dog
• kami: god. Note that Japan doesn't have a monotheist religion like Christianity.
• kawaii: cute
• kaze: wind
• ken: sword
• kitsune: a spirit that is usually represented as a fox. Kitsune may not always be malicious but they are believed to be great tricksters.

Did you know in anime?

• That Quentin Tarantino was the first person Miramax considered for the translation of the script of Mononoke Hime?
• That the Dr.T character in the Slam Dunk manga and anime represents the author himself?
• That the aforementioned author, Takehiko Inoue, used to be Tsukasa Hojo's assistant? Now we know where he got the habit of putting himself in his own works...
• That the broadcasting aircraft, the cityscape, the opening music for ep.1 and the names Priss and the replicants in Bubblegum Crisis are taken straight out of the movie Blade Runner?
• That Yoshihiro Togashi (Yu Yu Hakusho) and Naoko Takeuchi (Sailor Moon) are married to each other?
•  That in Macross Plus ep.2, Isamu is dressed exactly like James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause?