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Quiz about Borrowed English Words from Japanese
Quiz about Borrowed English Words from Japanese

Borrowed English Words from Japanese Quiz


You may not have realized it, but the Japanese language has helped play its part in shaping the English language vocabulary. Here are 10 examples of this phenomenon...enjoy and learn!

A multiple-choice quiz by thejazzkickazz. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
87,543
Updated
Aug 23 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
7728
Awards
Top 5% quiz!
Last 3 plays: miranda101 (7/10), adam36 (8/10), Kiwikaz (7/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. The term 'hara-kiri' is very commonly used, in a joking manner, by English speakers who want to imply that suicide might be their next option. But 'hara-kiri' is a suicide ritual that is taken very seriously by the Japanese, particularly during the Samurai era. What does 'hara-kiri' literally mean? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Lots of Japanese martial arts have become popular in the English speaking world. Which of the following names of a Japanese martial art literally translates as 'empty hand'? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Which of these Japanese martial art names translates literally as 'the gentle way'? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. True or false: The term 'yen', meaning 'a strong craving or desire', comes to the English language from the Japanese.


Question 5 of 10
5. Which of these words for a bean came to us through Dutch, via Japanese? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. 'Rickshaw', the word for a man-powered pedicab ubiquitous throughout Asia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and often associated with Western colonialism, comes to us from the Japanese language. But which Western author popularized the term in a short story he wrote in the late 19th century? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. This three letter word for a kimono sash has become so popular in English crossword puzzles, that it has been added to most English language dictionaries. What is the word?

Answer: (Cheesy hint: Think of a 'Star Wars' character with a two word name. Which 'wan' is it?)
Question 8 of 10
8. Origami has seemingly become a big hobby in the West, and we have the Japanese to thank for it. Here's a wicked 'yes or no' question...the word 'origami' translates literally as 'folded paper'.


Question 9 of 10
9. A food question, because I'm getting hungry. Sushi is another huge trend that has caught on in the West, brought to us by the very clever Japanese. But if 'sushi' is the general term for the vinegared rice which is supplemented by seaweed and raw fish, what is the general term for the thinly sliced pieces of raw fish eaten by themselves (both usually with a wasabi/soy dipping sauce)? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Finally, which of these words translates literally from the Japanese as 'divine wind'? Hint





Most Recent Scores
Oct 28 2024 : miranda101: 7/10
Oct 25 2024 : adam36: 8/10
Oct 23 2024 : Kiwikaz: 7/10
Oct 22 2024 : Guest 105: 6/10
Oct 15 2024 : snhha: 10/10
Oct 15 2024 : Guest 1: 8/10
Oct 11 2024 : moonlightxx: 10/10
Oct 06 2024 : mulder52: 7/10
Oct 03 2024 : chang50: 9/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The term 'hara-kiri' is very commonly used, in a joking manner, by English speakers who want to imply that suicide might be their next option. But 'hara-kiri' is a suicide ritual that is taken very seriously by the Japanese, particularly during the Samurai era. What does 'hara-kiri' literally mean?

Answer: Belly cutting

The ritual of 'hara-kiri' was recognized as an honorable way for a Samurai to take his life, if the circumstances warranted it. It was most often the case that a Samurai warrior was ordered by the imperial court or the local Daimyo to take his life, a self-imposed death penalty.

These days in the United States, no one will take you seriously if you use this word...it's meant to imply desperation or exasperation, but not the literal slicing open of your belly!
2. Lots of Japanese martial arts have become popular in the English speaking world. Which of the following names of a Japanese martial art literally translates as 'empty hand'?

Answer: Karate-do

I'm not sure if you noticed, but all of the martial arts listed had names ending in '-do'. The '-do' stands for 'the way', and is represented by the same character as the Chinese Tao (Dao) of Taoism. Hence, karate-do would be called 'the way of the empty hand'. Cool huh?
3. Which of these Japanese martial art names translates literally as 'the gentle way'?

Answer: Judo

Judo is an offshoot of the art of Jujitsu, a name which means 'the gentle art'. With judo, the primary goal is to get your opponent off-balance so you can give them a toss. I would say that the practice of judo is anything but gentle...
4. True or false: The term 'yen', meaning 'a strong craving or desire', comes to the English language from the Japanese.

Answer: False

I'm afraid that this is a rotten little trick question. Although it is common knowledge that the Japanese use a currency called the 'Yen', the term yen, meaning 'a craving', comes to us from Chinese. Back during the 19th century, when opium was the hot thing in China, a slang term developed for the addiction, namely 'yen-yen'.

This term was derived from the Cantonese words for opium (yin) and 'to crave' (yan). Eventually 'yen-yen' was abbreviated to 'yen'...and now is commonly used to express a relatively normal craving or desire for something, but nothing too extreme...for example, "I have a yen for creating quizzes at Quizzyland."
5. Which of these words for a bean came to us through Dutch, via Japanese?

Answer: Soy

The word 'soy' comes to us, via the Dutch, from the Japanese term 'shoyu'. The Japanese, in turn, borrowed the term from the Chinese 'shi-yu' meaning 'soy bean oil'. As you may have guessed, soy beans came to Japan from China (through Korea).
6. 'Rickshaw', the word for a man-powered pedicab ubiquitous throughout Asia during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and often associated with Western colonialism, comes to us from the Japanese language. But which Western author popularized the term in a short story he wrote in the late 19th century?

Answer: Rudyard Kipling

Kipling's short story 'The Phantom 'Rickshaw', from 1885, helped immerse this word into the Western vocabulary. Its origin can be found in Japanese, with the term 'jinrikshaw' (jin = man, riki = power, sha = carriage). Sadly, the 'man' was cut out of the Western term...no credit at all for his labor.
7. This three letter word for a kimono sash has become so popular in English crossword puzzles, that it has been added to most English language dictionaries. What is the word?

Answer: Obi

Shame on you if you are a crossword fan but didn't know this one! Double shame if you are a 'Star Wars' fan and couldn't get it!
8. Origami has seemingly become a big hobby in the West, and we have the Japanese to thank for it. Here's a wicked 'yes or no' question...the word 'origami' translates literally as 'folded paper'.

Answer: Yes

The word 'origami' is derived from the Japanese 'ori' (to fold) and 'kami' (paper). I am good at making paper airplanes, would that count as origami? I think so...
9. A food question, because I'm getting hungry. Sushi is another huge trend that has caught on in the West, brought to us by the very clever Japanese. But if 'sushi' is the general term for the vinegared rice which is supplemented by seaweed and raw fish, what is the general term for the thinly sliced pieces of raw fish eaten by themselves (both usually with a wasabi/soy dipping sauce)?

Answer: Sashimi

Oh man, now my mouth is really watering (I sure am glad I'm almost finished here!) Sashimi is the term for the little slices of raw fish...and trust me, it's delicious! Tempura is a term for fried, battered vegetables, teppanyaki is a style of cooking similar to what you see on Benihana commercials (cooked on a teppan grill), and udon is a delicious thick wheat noodle, great in soup.
10. Finally, which of these words translates literally from the Japanese as 'divine wind'?

Answer: Kamikaze

This word was made famous during World War II when Japanese fighter pilots would make suicide missions against U.S. ships. Now it's used to describe a person who runs headlong, madly into something...and can suggest possible disastrous results. Phew...hope you enjoyed this learning experience, I know I did. Thanks for playing!
Source: Author thejazzkickazz

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