Japan loves to borrow words from English — but what’s funny is that many of them have taken on completely new meanings here.
They sound familiar to English speakers, yet… not quite right.
These unique creations are called Japanese-made English, or wasei-eigo (和製英語).
Let’s look at some fun examples you might come across in everyday Japan!
“Salaryman” and “Office Lady”
If you meet someone who introduces himself as a salaryman, he’s simply saying he’s an office worker — someone who earns a monthly salary.
And his female colleague? She’s an Office Lady, or OL for short.
These words are everywhere in Japan — job ads, business magazines, even TV dramas.
They sound English, but are uniquely Japanese ways of describing working life.
“Talent,” “Front,” and “Gasoline Stand”
In Japan, TV celebrities are often called talents (タレント).
It doesn’t mean they’re just talented — it’s an actual job title!
At hotels, the reception desk is called the front,
and a gas station becomes a gasoline stand — you’ll even see “GS” written on maps.
So if someone says, “There’s a GS nearby,” they’re not talking about General Store — they mean fuel for your car.
“Jea-pan” and “Auto-bi”
Jeans are called “jea-pan” — a mix of jeans and pants.
Over time, that became “G-pan.”
Meanwhile, a motorcycle is called auto-bi, short for automatic bicycle.
It’s easy to see how the word evolved — and just as easy to misunderstand!
“Skinship” — The Word That Feels Warm
This one always makes people smile.
Skinship refers to close physical contact that expresses affection —
like a mother hugging her baby, or friends holding hands.
The “-ship” comes from friendship, so Japanese people simply added it to skin —
and the word became something uniquely warm and wholesome.
“You Are About”
Sometimes, Japanese-made English also reflects how we understand nuance.
In Japanese, if someone says “You are about,”
they mean “You’re not accurate,” or “You’re a bit off.”
It sounds strange in English, but to Japanese ears it makes perfect sense —
“about” means “almost,” right?
“Y-Shirt” — The Mystery of the Letter Y
In Japan, a dress shirt is called a Y-shirt.
Why? Because when Japanese people first heard the English word “white shirt,”
the sound “white” was caught as just “Y.”
So “white shirt” became “Y-shirt” —
and now it refers to any business shirt, not just white ones!
“Pasokon” — Japan’s PC Love
If you hear someone say “Pasokon,” don’t be confused.
It’s short for Personal Computer — a local abbreviation for “PC.”
You might also hear “Note Pasokon”, which means laptop computer.
These words are so common that even Japanese tech ads use them!
The Fun of Wasei Eigo
Some Japanese-made English words come from misheard pronunciation.
Others were created to fit Japanese culture better.
Either way, they’ve become part of daily life — from offices to convenience stores.
What’s interesting is that many Japanese people know the term “wasei-eigo,”
but the line between real English and Japanese-made English is still quite blurry.
So, sometimes you’ll meet someone who’s trying hard to communicate in “English,”
only to realize the other person has no idea what they mean.
It’s not a mistake — it’s just another charming part of how languages evolve.
And in that moment of confusion, there’s always a smile waiting to happen.
So next time someone talks about “skinship” or “G-pan,”
you’ll know exactly what they mean… and maybe even smile with them.
