Butchered Japanese words

[Sex Smurf]

[inspired by the hari kari thread]

I'm not the native Japanese speaker, but it always makes my skin crawl when I hear some Japanese words totally mispronounced. Examples (ALL CAPS indicate misplaced accent):

Kerry-O-key - ka-ra-o-kay
sa-SHI-mi - sa-shi-mi (slight accent on the sa)
To-key-o - to-kyo
ko-NI-chi-wa - ko-ni-chi-wa (slight accent on the ko)

Kinda funny actually and I'm used to it. But whenever I say karaoke, I always get confused looks on people's faces until I *correct* myself and say Kerry-O-key for them. Got a co-worker here who is notorious for trying to speak Japanese to me and I just want her to GTFOOMF.

whew, feel better now.

 

[Nitemare]

How do you pronounce bukkake?

 

[FleshLight]

So how are we supposed to pronounce them? Oh ren ishi?

 

[Sex Smurf]

Originally posted by: Nitemare
How do you pronounce bukkake?

boo-ka-kay

 

[Nitemare]

Originally posted by: Sex Smurf

Originally posted by: Nitemare
How do you pronounce bukkake?

boo-ka-kay

How bout Flied lice?

 

[Sex Smurf]

Originally posted by: Nitemare

Originally posted by: Sex Smurf

Originally posted by: Nitemare
How do you pronounce bukkake?

boo-ka-kay

How bout Flied lice?

cha-han

 

[imported_Pablo]

You know why we pronounce it that way? Because this is AMERICA and we speak ENGLISH. If we were trying to speak japanese and mispronounced it, that would be bad. but language is about communication, and if you use a japanese accent trying to communicate to americans, you're not communicating well. Despite your Anime fantasies, this is the USA. Might as well go ahead and use an "american" accent on everything. Even foreign words.

 

[pclstyle]

Originally posted by: Pablo
You know why we pronounce it that way? Because this is AMERICA and we speak ENGLISH. If we were trying to speak japanese and mispronounced it, that would be bad. but language is about communication, and if you use a japanese accent trying to communicate to americans, you're not communicating well. Despite your Anime fantasies, this is the USA. Might as well go ahead and use an "american" accent on everything. Even foreign words.

wtf are you talking about

 

[imported_Pablo]

Originally posted by: pclstyle

Originally posted by: Pablo
You know why we pronounce it that way? Because this is AMERICA and we speak ENGLISH. If we were trying to speak japanese and mispronounced it, that would be bad. but language is about communication, and if you use a japanese accent trying to communicate to americans, you're not communicating well. Despite your Anime fantasies, this is the USA. Might as well go ahead and use an "american" accent on everything. Even foreign words.

wtf are you talking about

When you are speaking English, you use English pronunciation. When you are speaking Japanese, use japanese pronunciation. Doesn't matter the origin of the word.

 

[dc]

pronounce yaoi for us

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Pablo
You know why we pronounce it that way? Because this is AMERICA and we speak ENGLISH. If we were trying to speak japanese and mispronounced it, that would be bad. but language is about communication, and if you use a japanese accent trying to communicate to americans, you're not communicating well. Despite your Anime fantasies, this is the USA. Might as well go ahead and use an "american" accent on everything. Even foreign words.

You pronounce Jacques the same as you would Jack?

How about El Nino?

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: Pablo

Originally posted by: pclstyle

Originally posted by: Pablo
You know why we pronounce it that way? Because this is AMERICA and we speak ENGLISH. If we were trying to speak japanese and mispronounced it, that would be bad. but language is about communication, and if you use a japanese accent trying to communicate to americans, you're not communicating well. Despite your Anime fantasies, this is the USA. Might as well go ahead and use an "american" accent on everything. Even foreign words.

wtf are you talking about

When you are speaking English, you use English pronunciation. When you are speaking Japanese, use japanese pronunciation. Doesn't matter the origin of the word.

Aren't you contradicting yourself?

 

[Sex Smurf]

Originally posted by: dc
pronounce yaoi for us

ya-oy! accent on the second syllable

 

[supagold]

I took a few semesters of Japanese in College so I get where you're coming from. OTOH, have you heard the way Japanese people mangle english? (Although sometimes I think the mangled engrish is better than the original.) I figure it's an even trade.

 

[imported_Pablo]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Pablo
You know why we pronounce it that way? Because this is AMERICA and we speak ENGLISH. If we were trying to speak japanese and mispronounced it, that would be bad. but language is about communication, and if you use a japanese accent trying to communicate to americans, you're not communicating well. Despite your Anime fantasies, this is the USA. Might as well go ahead and use an "american" accent on everything. Even foreign words.

You pronounce Jacques the same as you would Jack?

How about El Nino?

Listen to somebody who speaks Spanish pronounce el nino and then listen to somebody who speaks English pronounce it. Its not going to be the same. For that word its pretty damn close, but not the same.

 

[nakedfrog]

So... how do you feel about japanese people butchering english words? Or is that somehow "okay" or different to you?

 

[imported_Pablo]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Pablo

Originally posted by: pclstyle

Originally posted by: Pablo
You know why we pronounce it that way? Because this is AMERICA and we speak ENGLISH. If we were trying to speak japanese and mispronounced it, that would be bad. but language is about communication, and if you use a japanese accent trying to communicate to americans, you're not communicating well. Despite your Anime fantasies, this is the USA. Might as well go ahead and use an "american" accent on everything. Even foreign words.

wtf are you talking about

When you are speaking English, you use English pronunciation. When you are speaking Japanese, use japanese pronunciation. Doesn't matter the origin of the word.

Aren't you contradicting yourself?

If you can point out how I'd be glad to correct myself...

 

[david46675]

Originally posted by: Pablo

Originally posted by: pclstyle

Originally posted by: Pablo
You know why we pronounce it that way? Because this is AMERICA and we speak ENGLISH. If we were trying to speak japanese and mispronounced it, that would be bad. but language is about communication, and if you use a japanese accent trying to communicate to americans, you're not communicating well. Despite your Anime fantasies, this is the USA. Might as well go ahead and use an "american" accent on everything. Even foreign words.

wtf are you talking about

When you are speaking English, you use English pronunciation. When you are speaking Japanese, use japanese pronunciation. Doesn't matter the origin of the word.

Correctness of pronunciation changes based on the cultural context from which you are speaking. For instance, there are many differences in English Pronunciation even between people from America and England. Even in America we pronounce things differently. Potayto, Potahto. Either/or is correct. And perhaps, more apt, the difference in pronunciation of Karaoke in "English" and Japanese -- Careioki and Ka-Ra-O-Ke respectively. Saying Ka-ra-o-ke in America not only gets you weird stares, but also makes you sound like a pronunciation nazi / stuck up.

 

[akubi]

Originally posted by: Pablo

Originally posted by: pclstyle

Originally posted by: Pablo
You know why we pronounce it that way? Because this is AMERICA and we speak ENGLISH. If we were trying to speak japanese and mispronounced it, that would be bad. but language is about communication, and if you use a japanese accent trying to communicate to americans, you're not communicating well. Despite your Anime fantasies, this is the USA. Might as well go ahead and use an "american" accent on everything. Even foreign words.

wtf are you talking about

When you are speaking English, you use English pronunciation. When you are speaking Japanese, use japanese pronunciation. Doesn't matter the origin of the word.

so instead of pah-blo, you would be pe-blo in english right?

 

[imported_Pablo]

Originally posted by: akubi

Originally posted by: Pablo

Originally posted by: pclstyle

Originally posted by: Pablo
You know why we pronounce it that way? Because this is AMERICA and we speak ENGLISH. If we were trying to speak japanese and mispronounced it, that would be bad. but language is about communication, and if you use a japanese accent trying to communicate to americans, you're not communicating well. Despite your Anime fantasies, this is the USA. Might as well go ahead and use an "american" accent on everything. Even foreign words.

wtf are you talking about

When you are speaking English, you use English pronunciation. When you are speaking Japanese, use japanese pronunciation. Doesn't matter the origin of the word.

so instead of pah-blo, you would be pe-blo in english right?

Nope.

 

[sandman018]

Originally posted by: akubi

Originally posted by: Pablo

Originally posted by: pclstyle

Originally posted by: Pablo
You know why we pronounce it that way? Because this is AMERICA and we speak ENGLISH. If we were trying to speak japanese and mispronounced it, that would be bad. but language is about communication, and if you use a japanese accent trying to communicate to americans, you're not communicating well. Despite your Anime fantasies, this is the USA. Might as well go ahead and use an "american" accent on everything. Even foreign words.

wtf are you talking about

When you are speaking English, you use English pronunciation. When you are speaking Japanese, use japanese pronunciation. Doesn't matter the origin of the word.

so instead of pah-blo, you would be pe-blo in english right?

heh :thumbsup:

 

[bandana163]

Why is it so hard to pronounce those words correctly?
Isn't phonetic pronunciation taught at elementary school?

 

[dc]

japanese people mangling english <3

 

[Sex Smurf]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
So... how do you feel about japanese people butchering english words? Or is that somehow "okay" or different to you?

Well, in this case usually the whole sentence, including grammar, is butchered, so it can't be helped. I'm usually too preoccupied trying to decipher what was just said - so it's more work than being bothersome. And its not about the "people", it's the way the word enters my ear and affects my brain.

 

[dxkj]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: Pablo

Originally posted by: pclstyle

Originally posted by: Pablo
You know why we pronounce it that way? Because this is AMERICA and we speak ENGLISH. If we were trying to speak japanese and mispronounced it, that would be bad. but language is about communication, and if you use a japanese accent trying to communicate to americans, you're not communicating well. Despite your Anime fantasies, this is the USA. Might as well go ahead and use an "american" accent on everything. Even foreign words.

wtf are you talking about

When you are speaking English, you use English pronunciation. When you are speaking Japanese, use japanese pronunciation. Doesn't matter the origin of the word.

Aren't you contradicting yourself?

He is saying when the word comes to our country, it becomes an English word, and we should try to pronounce it based on the rules of english

lol...

can you imagine if that were true? think of all of the french or spanish or... well you get my point... Fajita = fa gee tah, fiance = fy ants