ASO Radio's Guide to Common Anime Japanese
These word have been deemed to be the most likely to be important words for an anime fan to know. While everyone might not agree that these are the most critical words, they are a good start for establishing a basic knowlege of Japanese usage in anime.
- ai
- Love. Romantic love would be koi.
- akuma
- Satan/devil
- anime
- Animation. In American and European culture, anime has come to exclusively mean animation from Japan.
- arigatou
- Thank you. Full form is arigatou gozaimasu.
- baka
- Multipurpose word for lack of intelligence, from silly to utter dolton, depending on tone.
- akanbe
- Contemptive, often childish, gesture, done by sticking out the tongue and pulling down one eyelid, equivilent to sticking out one's tongue or "nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah!"
- bushidou
- Samurai code of chivalry and the art of sword fighting
- chikusho
- Expletive similiar to "Damn!" or "Shit!"
- damaru
- Be still, silent. Also, damare, meaning "Silence!"
- dub or dubbed
- Short for, "English language-dubbed video." These are anime where the soundtrack has been replaced with English voices.
- ettchi
- The character for hentai, ettchi also means pervert, and has come in America to mean "soft core" anime pornography.
- fanatikku
- Fan or fanatic. Unlike otaku, this word is more correctly applied to someone who is a fan of anime, but not obsessively.
- Ever Anime
- A Taiwanese company that produces legal rip-off reproductions (due to Taiwan not signing the International Copyright Act) of anime music and other related merchandise, which hurt the legit sales of the originals in Japan and abroad, sequentially raising prices. Also see Son May.
- gaki
- Immature young person, often translated as "brat" or "punk."
- gomen
- Abbreviated form of "gomennasai." I beg your pardon, excuse me. Also, polite declination or dismissal.
- hentai
- Pervert or perversion. Also, hentai is used to reference "hard core" anime pornography.
- hime
- Princess
- jigoku
- Hell/underworld
- kami
- God, or a god. Also applicable to any supernatural being.
- kanojo
- Girlfriend
- kareshi
- Boyfriend
- kawaii
- Cute. Also, but less frequently, cherished or beloved.
- kega
- Wound or injury, or a spiritual violation or defilement.
- keisatsu
- Police
- ki/chi/qi
- Spiritual essence; also, air.
- korosu
- To kill
- konbanha
- Good evening
- konnichiha
- Good day
- mahou
- Magic or magic spell.
- manga
- "Motionless animation." The American equivalent would be comic books, though manga genres vary as much as those of anime.
- minasan
- Everyone
- mochiron
- Of course, without a doubt, naturally.
- nani
- What?, huh?; confusion.
- ningen
- Human, humanity, humankind.
- ohayou
- Good morning. Short for ohayou gozaimasu.
- OAV/OVA
- Original Animated Video (or Original Video Animation). Anime released directly to video without first being played on television or in movie theatres.
- oni
- Demon/ogre
- otaku
- Literally house, American anime culture has change the meaning of the word to be one who is a fan of anime, almost to the point of complete obsession.
- sempai
- One who is one's senior or superior.
- shinjiru
- To believe in
- shinu
- To die
- Son May
- A Taiwanese company that produces legal rip-off reproductions (due to Taiwan not signing the International Copyright Act) of anime music and other related merchandise, which hurt the legit sales of the originals in Japan and abroad, sequentially raising prices. Also see Ever Anime.
- sub or subbed
- Short for "English language-subtitled video," these are anime which have had subtitles of their English translations placed on top of the actual animation with the original Japanese soundtrack intact.
- sugoi
- Awe or admiration for someone's abilities and talents. Nearly equivilent to awesome or exciting.
- tatakau
- To fight, to do battle
- teki
- Enemy
- tenpo
- Store
- tomodachi
- Friend
- unmei
- Fate, destiny
- uragirimono
- Traitor
- urusai
- Noisy or obnobxious
- wana
- Trap or setup
- yatta
- Proclamation of victory or good fortune. Good example, "Oh yeah!"
- yoshi
- Exclamation of readiment, building oneself up.
- yume
- Dream
Special thanks to The 100 Most Essential Words in Anime by David Soler, from which many of these words and definitions came.