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A Brief Guide to Japanese Emoji: Food
Do you remember the first time you used an emoji?
I do. It was kind of overwhelming. I scrolled and scrolled through my new Japanese phone, and wondered what all these little pictures could possibly be for.
Because emoji originated in Japan, some of them are quite specific to Japanese culture.
Some are obvious - but others might not mean what you think! Let’s take a look at some specifically Japanese emoji.
Do you remember the first time you used an emoji?
I do. It was kind of overwhelming. I scrolled and scrolled through my new Japanese phone, and wondered what all these little pictures could possibly be for.
Because emoji originated in Japan, some of them are quite specific to Japanese culture.
Some are obvious - but others might not mean what you think! Let’s take a look at some specifically Japanese emoji.
せんべい Rice Cracker
(Emoji images from emoji.ichinoku.com)
"What's that brown circle with the square on it?" せんべい (senbei, or sembei) are crispy, crunchy rice crackers. Usually savoury, they're made from Japan's staple crop - rice.
This one in the emoji picture is partly wrapped in a sheet of dried のり (nori) seaweed. Yum!
弁当 Bento Box
A 弁当 (bentō or bentou) is a boxed lunch containing rice, usually with fish or meat, and often with pickled vegetables.
Look closely - this bentō box has sushi in it too!
団子 Dango
Dango are Japanese sweets made from sticky rice and sugar. They're chewy and squishy. I'm a big fan!
Dango are served on a stick to make it easier to eat.
These coloured ones are also called 三色 (sanshoku or "three-coloured") dango, or 花見 (hanami or "flower-viewing") dango.
エビフライ Fried Prawn
エビフライ (ebi-furai) or "fried prawn" is a specialty food of Nagoya, where I lived from 2011-2014.
I can't eat prawns though, so it's not my favourite food. You can have mine.
マンガ肉 Manga Meat
マンガ肉 (manga niku) is meat on the bone stylised like the cartoon meat you see in anime and manga.
Also known as あの肉 (ano niku) "that meat".
In a glorious case of life imitating art, you can actually get manga niku some places. We had it in the Capcom bar in Shinjuku, Tokyo a few years ago:
おでん Oden
A classic winter comfort food, おでん (oden) is a hot-pot made by simmering various ingredients in
dashi fish broth.
Some of the ingredients are skewered - again, to make them easier to eat.
The triangle on the top of the skewer in this emoji is こんにゃく (konnyaku), a gelatinous speckled grey food that tastes better than it looks.
Next time you're scrolling through the emoji on your phone, see if there are any Japanese food emoji that are new to you!
First published Dec 2017
Updated Sept 2021
Is it "douzo" or "dozo"?
"Wait, is it douzo? In the book it says dōzo..."
It's both. And it's neither!
In beginner classes I use often rōmaji (English letters) to write Japanese in class. This is to give you a head start in learning to speak.
Some people think you shouldn't use rōmaji at all, because it will give you bad pronunciation.
That might be true if you're studying by yourself…
"Wait, is it douzo? In the book it says dōzo..."
It's both. And it's neither!
In beginner classes I use often rōmaji (English letters) to write Japanese in class. This is to give you a head start in learning to speak.
Some people think you shouldn't use rōmaji at all, because it will give you bad pronunciation.
That might be true if you're studying by yourself.
But if you have a teacher to teach you how to pronounce Japanese words correctly, and correct your mistakes, you can learn Japanese correctly using rōmaji.
There are different systems for writing Japanese in the English alphabet. Depending on which system is being used, a word could be spelled differently.
どうぞ (do-u-zo) means "here you are" / "go ahead".
Some romanisation systems use a macron (that’s a horizontal bar over the letter) to write the long vowel sound: ā ī ū ē ō. Using the macron, the word would be written "dōzo".
Another method is to spell out the long vowel sound using double letters: aa, ii, uu, ei, ou. That gives us "douzo".
Both "dōzo" and "douzo" are correct.
Sometimes, the long vowel isn't written in: "dozo". Technically, this is wrong!
You might also see ee and oo used instead of ei and ou: "doozo".
Personally I think "doozo" is just asking for trouble. That's not how the word is spelled in Japanese (it's どうぞ do-u-zo).
Of course, the truly correct way to spell the word is to write it in Japanese characters: どうぞ.
But if you’re writing in rōmaji, both "dōzo" and "douzo" are fine too. Just don't forget the long vowel!
First published Nov 2017; updated Sept 2021
More Ways of Counting in Japanese with "Ippon Demo Ninjin"
My student shared the funny song "Ippon Demo Ninjin" with us recently.
It's pretty pun-tastic, and very catchy.
It's also a good way to learn and practice some more counters (little words we put on the end of numbers in Japanese, depending on what's being counted).
My student shared the funny song "Ippon Demo Ninjin" with us recently.
It's pretty pun-tastic, and very catchy.
It's also a good way to learn and practice some more counters (little words we put on the end of numbers in Japanese, depending on what's being counted).
(Part 1)
１！ いっぽん でも にんじん Ichi! Ippon demo ninjin
２！ にそく でも サンダル Ni! Nisoku demo sandaru
３！ さんそう でも ヨット San! Sansou demo yotto
４！ よつぶ でも ごましお Yon! Yotsubu demo gomashio
５！ ごだい でも ロケット Go! Godai demo roketto
６！ ろくわ でも しちめんちょう Roku! Rokuwa demo shichimencho
７！ しちひき でも はち Shichi! Shichihiki demo hachi
８！ はっとう でも くじら Hachi! Hattou demo kujira
９！ きゅうはい でも ジュース Kyuu! Kyuuhai demo juusu
１０！ じゅっこ でも いちご Juu! Jukko demo ichigo
いちご、 にんじん、 サンダル、 ヨット、 ごましお、 ロケット、しちめんちょう 、はち、くじら、ジュース
Ichigo, ninjin, sandaru, yotto, gomashio, roketto, shichimencho, hachi, kujira, juusu
Strawberry, carrot, sandal, yacht, sesame and salt, rocket, turkey, bee, whale, juice
(Dance break)
(Repeat Part 1)
いっぽん、 にそく、 さんそう、 よつぶ、 ごだい、ろくわ、しちひき、はっとう、きゅうはい、 じゅっこ！
Ippon, nisoku, sansou, yotsubu, godai, rokuwa, shikihiki, hattou, kyuuhai, jukko!
One long thin thing, two shoes, three boats, four small round things, five vehicles, six birds, seven small animals, eight large animals, nine cups, ten small things!
The beginning of ninjin (carrot) sounds like "ni" (two) but there's only one carrot.
And the beginning of sandaru (sandles) sounds like "san" (three) but...there are only two sandals!
We could translate いっぽん でも にんじん Ippon demo ninjin, therefore, as:
"It's only one, but it's a carrot."
or
"Even if there's only one, a carrot is ninjin."
(Trust me, it sounds better in Japanese.)
Anyway, listen again and try and sing along.
I haven't translated the whole thing for you, just bits. See if you can work the rest of it out!
First published Nov 2017. Updated August 2021.
The One Million Meanings of Yoroshiku
So, you’ve learned different ways to say "Nice to meet you!" in Japanese. One way to say “nice to meet you” is “yoroshiku onegai shimasu”.
But yoroshiku onegai shimasu isn't just for the first time you meet someone. It has a whole host of different uses.
Let's look at the main different meanings of this magical, multipurpose Japanese word.
1. Yoroshiku means "Please!"…
So, you’ve learned different ways to say "Nice to meet you!" in Japanese. One way to say “nice to meet you” is “yoroshiku onegai shimasu”.
But yoroshiku onegai shimasu isn't just for the first time you meet someone. It has a whole host of different uses.
Let's look at the main different meanings of this magical, multipurpose Japanese word.
1. Yoroshiku means "Please!"
Yoroshiku, as we learned before, can be used when meeting new people, and means "please be kind to me", or "please look favourably upon me":
初めまして。フランです。よろしくお願いします。
"Hajimemashite. Furan desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu."
Nice to meet you. I'm Fran. Please look favourably upon me!
2. Yoroshiku means "Thank you!"
As well as please, yoroshiku can mean thank you. Specifically, it can often mean “thank you in advance”. Said when giving someone work to do:
とじまり、よろしくね。
Tojimari, yoroshiku ne.
"I'll leave you to lock up. Thanks."
娘をよろしくお願いします。
Musume o yoroshiku onegaishimasu.
"Thanks in advance for taking care of my daughter."
Shop “Yoroshiku ne” T-shirts:
3. Yoroshiku means "Hi!"
This is one of my favourites. Yoroshiku can mean "regards", like "send my regards to so-and-so", or "say hi to so-and-so", or even "send my love to so-and-so":
お父さんによろしくお伝えください。
O-tou-san ni yoroshiku o tsutae kudasai.
Please send my best regards to your father.
お姉さんによろしくね。
O-nee-san ni yoroshiku ne.
Say hi to your sister for me.
What's your favourite use of yoroshiku? Did I miss any out? Let me know...yoroshiku ne!
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Updated 10th August 2021
Six Ways To Say "Happy Birthday" In Japanese
So you want to wish your Japanese-speaking friends "happy birthday" in Japanese.
Whether you're sending a birthday card, or just writing a message, here are six different ways to share the love.
First of all, let's say “Happy Birthday”:
So you want to wish your Japanese-speaking friends "happy birthday" in Japanese.
Whether you're sending a birthday card, or just writing a message, here are six different ways to share the love.
First of all, let's say “Happy Birthday”:
1) お誕生日おめでとう！ o-tanjoubi omedetou
Simple and classic, this one means "happy birthday", or literally "congratulations on your birthday".
2) お誕生日おめでとうございます。 o-tanjoubi omedetou gozaimasu
Stick a "gozaimasu" on the end to make it more polite.
Good for people older than you, people you know less well, and definitely good for your boss.
3) ハッピーバースデー！happii baasudee!
This one is actually one of my favourites - a Japan-ified version of the English phrase “happy birthday”.
Shop Japanese “Happy Birthday” T-shirts:
If you're writing a message, it's good to follow up after the birthday greeting by also wishing the person well:
1) 楽しんでください tanoshinde kudasai
"Have fun!"
e.g. お誕生日おめでとう！楽しんでください ^ ^
"Happy birthday! Have fun :)"
2) 素敵な一日を sutekina ichinichi o
"Have a great day."
e.g. お誕生日おめでとう！素敵な一日を〜
"Happy birthday! Have a great day."
3) 素晴らしい１年になりますように subarashii ichinen ni narimasu you ni
"I hope it's a wonderful year for you."
e.g. お誕生日おめでとうございます。素晴らしい１年になりますように。
"Happy birthday. I hope you have a wonderful year."
As you may have noticed, birthday messages wishing someone well for the year are kind of similar to a New Years' Greeting in Japanese.
それじゃ、素敵な一日を！ sutekina ichinichi o!
And with that, I hope you have a wonderful day!
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Updated 10th August 2021
Umbrellas Lost And Found - The Hundred Yen Shop
Did you know Japan has the most umbrellas per person, of any country in the world? For every person in Japan, there are 3.3 umbrellas.
At least three of them are mine, left outside shops and restaurants…
In 2011, I had just moved to Japan and I moved into my new flat on the outskirts of Nagoya city. At the weekends I'd head to Daiso, the 100-yen shop, to buy bits and pieces for my new flat.
One day, I left my umbrella in the stand outside the 100-yen shop. It was quite a nice umbrella - a neat little folding one, and it had been a present from my brother, so I went back to the shop the next day.
My little blue umbrella wasn't in the rack, so I asked at the till.
Did you know Japan has the most umbrellas per person, of any country in the world? For every person in Japan, there are 3.3 umbrellas.
At least three of them are mine, left outside shops and restaurants…
In 2011, I had just moved to Japan and I moved into my new flat on the outskirts of Nagoya city. At the weekends I'd head to Daiso, the 100-yen shop, to buy bits and pieces for my new flat.
One day, I left my umbrella in the stand outside the 100-yen shop. It was quite a nice umbrella - a neat little folding one, and it had been a present from my brother, so I went back to the shop the next day.
My little blue umbrella wasn't in the rack, so I asked at the till.
My Japanese was quite limited then, but I knew how to say 傘を忘れました (kasa o wasuremashita, "I left my umbrella").
The shop assistant looked a bit bemused, but wanted to help me, so she asked me what the umbrella looked like.
I told her the umbrella was 小さい (chiisai, “small”). I gestured to show it was very small.
She asked me:
ああ、折りたたみですか。
Aa, oritatami desu ka?
Oh, is it "oritatami"?
I didn't know what "oritatami" meant, and I didn't have a dictionary with me (it was 2011, and I didn’t own a smartphone), so I repeated that it was small.
The shop assistant bustled about, murmuring:
"Oritatami, oritatami, oritatami..."
She went off to look somewhere else, and then came back and apologised profusely. My umbrella was gone.
I walked home. It started to rain.
At home, I pulled out my romaji dictionary. And that was the day I learned that “oritatami” means "folding", as in, a folding umbrella.
! I'll never forget that word, I thought.
I lost my little umbrella, but I gained a new word in my vocabulary. You need a lot more than 3.3 words per person, after all!
"Does Japanese Have Plurals?"
After the excitement of our first school Summer Barbecue, I spent the day in bed watching one of my favourite films in Japanese.
It wasn’t a Japanese film though. I watched Hot Fuzz (or to give its Japanese title ホット・ファズ -俺たちスーパーポリスメン "Hot Fuzz: We Are The Super-Policemen!")
Watching British comedies dubbed into Japanese might not be the "purest" way to listen to Japanese. But if you enjoy it, it's definitely worth doing. Dubbed films are easy to watch, too, assuming you've seen the film before and know the plot already.
Anyway, there's a little scene in the Hotto Fazzu dub that's a nice example of Japanese plurals in action, so I thought I'd share it with you.
After the excitement of our first school Summer Barbecue (back in 2017), I spent the day in bed watching one of my favourite films in Japanese.
It wasn’t a Japanese film though. I watched Hot Fuzz (or to give its Japanese title ホット・ファズ -俺たちスーパーポリスメン "Hot Fuzz: We Are The Super-Policemen!")
Watching British comedies dubbed into Japanese might not be the "purest" way to listen to Japanese. But if you enjoy it, it's definitely worth doing. Dubbed films are easy to watch, too, assuming you've seen the film before and know the plot already.
Anyway, there's a little scene in the Hotto Fazzu dub that's a nice example of Japanese plurals in action, so I thought I'd share it with you.
Angel and Danny are in the corner shop, and the shopkeeper asks them:
殺人犯たち捕まらないの？
satsujinhan tachi tsukamaranai no?
"No luck catching them killers then?"
"Killers" is translated as 殺人犯たち satsujinhan-tachi. You take the word 殺人犯 satsujinhan (murderer) and add the suffix たち (tachi) - which makes it plural.
See? Japanese does have plurals! ... when it needs them.
Danny doesn't notice the shopkeeper's slip-up (she knows more than she's letting on), and replies:
人しかいないんだけど。
hitori shika inai n da kedo.
"It's just the one killer actually."
PC Angel, of course, mulls over the shopkeeper's words, and realises their significance: there's more than one killer on the loose.
It's a turning point of the movie, and it rests on a plural. Yay!
You can use たち like this when you need to indicate plurality:
私たち watashi-tachi we, us (plural)
あなたたち anata-tachi you (plural)
ジョンたち jon-tachi John and his mates
It's not that common, but it does exist. Keep an eye out for it! You never know, you might just solve a murder case.
First published 8th Sept 2017
Updated 11th Dec 2020
Like many people in the UK, I studied French in school. I liked French. I thought it was really fun to speak another language, to talk with people, and to try and listen to what was going on in a new country. (Still do!)
When I was 14 we went on a school exchange to the city of Reims, in northeastern France. I was paired with a boy, which I’m sure some 14-year-olds would find very exciting but which I found unbearably awkward. He was very sweet and we completely ignored each other.
That was nearly 20 years ago, and I didn’t learn or use any more French until, at some point in lockdown, I decided on a whim to take some one-to-one lessons with online teachers. Here are some things I learned about French, about language learning, and about myself.