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Quiz about The Japanese Have a Word for It
Quiz about The Japanese Have a Word for It

The Japanese Have a Word for It! Quiz


Here are a few useful Japanese words that I wish we had in English.

A multiple-choice quiz by wajo. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
wajo
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
104,548
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
3320
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 67 (1/10), gargipareek (4/10), Guest 110 (5/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Everyone will be saying this to you if you are about to start a new job, compete in a sporting event, sit an exam or do anything else where you need to do your best and not give up - which is what this word means. Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. This might be an appropriate response when you hear, for example, that taxes have been raised even though the government had promised that they wouldn't be. The meaning is 'just as we expected/afterall'. Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. This is what a dutiful Japanese housewife might have to do a lot if she lives with a domineering mother-in-law! It means to be patient, to tolerate and endure. Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Still with our dutiful housewife...if people were to say that she is 'otonashii' what would they mean? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. This is a very useful word which expresses a positive feeling of nostalgia when, for example, you visit your old school or find some old photos of your childhood. Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Which of these words can be translated as 'mind', 'heart' or 'spirit' - and encompasses all three? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. If you introduced someone as your 'dokyusei' in Japanese, how might you introduce them in English? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Here's a word which I wish we had because I wish our restaurants and cafes had the item it describes! What do you call the damp cloth which the waiter or waitress gives you when you first sit down at your table? It comes hot in winter and cool in summer and is used for wiping your face and hands before you eat. Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Japanese brings together 'noisy', 'annoying' and 'persistent' into one convenient adjective. It's a great word to describe someone who nags! And if someone snaps it at you it means 'shut up!'. The word is... Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. The last question is about a word that may have been one of the first Japanese words you learned. It means fine/well/healthy but unlike these English equivalents it can also have the sense of being high-spirited and lively. It is a good word to describe energetic children. When you greet someone they will often ask you if you are... Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Oct 18 2024 : Guest 67: 1/10
Oct 15 2024 : gargipareek: 4/10
Sep 12 2024 : Guest 110: 5/10
Sep 03 2024 : Guest 67: 9/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Everyone will be saying this to you if you are about to start a new job, compete in a sporting event, sit an exam or do anything else where you need to do your best and not give up - which is what this word means.

Answer: gambatte!

From the verb gambaru, it is often translated as 'Hang in there!'An appropriate answer to gambatte! might be 'Hai, gambarimasu!' (Yes, I'll do my best/persevere).
2. This might be an appropriate response when you hear, for example, that taxes have been raised even though the government had promised that they wouldn't be. The meaning is 'just as we expected/afterall'.

Answer: yappari

Yappari is a more conversational form of yahari. It has various nuances depending on the circumstances in which it is used.
3. This is what a dutiful Japanese housewife might have to do a lot if she lives with a domineering mother-in-law! It means to be patient, to tolerate and endure.

Answer: gaman suru

The fact that Japanese has a word for this and English doesn't, says something about the different qualities that our cultures value!
4. Still with our dutiful housewife...if people were to say that she is 'otonashii' what would they mean?

Answer: meek, gentle, quiet, obedient

A trait that has traditionally been highly valued in women - though is perhaps becoming less so now.
5. This is a very useful word which expresses a positive feeling of nostalgia when, for example, you visit your old school or find some old photos of your childhood.

Answer: natsukashii

This is the word that I most wish we had in English - I say it to myself even if there's no Japanese speakers around to say it out loud to!
6. Which of these words can be translated as 'mind', 'heart' or 'spirit' - and encompasses all three?

Answer: kokoro

In compound words (words made up of more than one kanji character) kokoro is often pronounced 'shin'. This is the shin in shinzo which also means heart. But shinzo is the physical heart (prone to angina and heart disease) and kokoro is the spiritual and emotional heart (prone to being 'heavy', kind or even broken!).
7. If you introduced someone as your 'dokyusei' in Japanese, how might you introduce them in English?

Answer: 'we were at school together'

More specifically your dokyusei is/was in the same year at school. There is also a word for students in the year above you (sempai) and below you (kohai). The existence of these words reflects the importance of age in determining relative status. Similarly one's siblings are not referred to as 'my brother' or 'my sister', but always as 'my older brother/sister' or 'my younger brother/sister'.
8. Here's a word which I wish we had because I wish our restaurants and cafes had the item it describes! What do you call the damp cloth which the waiter or waitress gives you when you first sit down at your table? It comes hot in winter and cool in summer and is used for wiping your face and hands before you eat.

Answer: oshibori

The word oshibori is made up of the honorific 'o' and 'shibori' from 'shiboru', to squeeze. Presumably because the cloths would have originally been wrung out by hand. Now they are prepared in purpose-built steamers and come individually wrapped in plastic.
9. Japanese brings together 'noisy', 'annoying' and 'persistent' into one convenient adjective. It's a great word to describe someone who nags! And if someone snaps it at you it means 'shut up!'. The word is...

Answer: urusai

Damatte can also mean 'shut up', it comes from the verb damaru (to become silent) and doesn't have the same sense of something being persistently bothersome. Shizuka ni means 'quietly' and yamete means 'stop it'.
10. The last question is about a word that may have been one of the first Japanese words you learned. It means fine/well/healthy but unlike these English equivalents it can also have the sense of being high-spirited and lively. It is a good word to describe energetic children. When you greet someone they will often ask you if you are...

Answer: genki

When I lived in Japan, but was talking to someone who didn't speak Japanese, I would often find myself stuck mid-sentence because I couldn't find an English equivalent to 'genki' to describe how the kids were. 'Fine' just doesn't have the same liveliness!
Source: Author wajo

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor thejazzkickazz before going online.
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