11 Filipino words that came from Japanese terms

11 Filipino words that came from Japanese terms

Japan occupied the Philippines between 1942 and 1945. The invasion of the Philippines started on Dec. 8, 1941, 10 hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Despite the short time they spent here in the Philippines, the Japanese has incurred influences in the different aspects of the Filipino lives. The Japanese influenced some of our customs, food, language and literature. Below are some of the Filipino words that are derived from Japanese terms.

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Filipino: Dahan–dahan

Japanese: だんだん / dandan

Meaning: Slowly or gradually

Filipino: Dorobo

Japanese: 泥棒 / dorobou

Meaning: Thief or robber

Filipino: Jack-en-poy

Japanese: じゃんけんぽん / jankenpon

Meaning: Rock-paper-scissors. Most Japanese refer to the game simply as “janken”.

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Filipino: Kabán

Japanese: 鞄 / kaban

Meaning: While in Filipino it means sack of rice, in Japanese, kaban means bag.

Filipino: Kampáy

Japanese: 乾杯 / kanpai

Meaning: Cheers!

Filipino: Karaoke

Japanese: カラオケ / karaoke

Meaning: A form of musical entertainment, usually social in nature in Filipino culture. However, there is a rumor that a Filipino inventor invented the karaoke and the Japanese simply adapted it.

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Filipino: Katól

Japanese: 蚊取線香 / katori-senkō

Meaning: Mosquito coil, which is a Japanese product to repel mosquitos and other insects during the summer.

Filipino: Tamang-tamà - 偶々

Japanese: tama-tama

Meaning: Coincidentally, just right

Filipino: Tansan

Japanese: 炭酸 / tansan

Meaning: Originally "soda" in Japanese, but changed to "bottle cap" in Tagalog

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Filipino: Teka

Japanese:てゆーか / te-yuka

Meaning: wait

Filipino: Toto

Japanese: おとうと / otōto

Meaning: While in Japanese it means a younger brother or child, in Filipino it means a young boy.

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Source: KAMI.com.gh

Authors:
Kristin Daniels avatar

Kristin Daniels