Anime, Manga and Pop Culture (5)
I see more and more Japanese words in my local supermarket, including edamame, daikon, kombu and nori. And umami has become part of the vocabulary of gourmets. It’s the taste sensation produced by some condiments such as monosodium glutamate, which is a basic flavor in seaweed. Ramen, bento and yakitori are also pretty common n store signs these days.
One thing that I find a bit distasteful, to be honest, is how the Japanese word tsunami is used. Its original meaning is a sea wave produced by an undersea earthquake or volcanic eruption. In English, it’s often used in expressions like “financial tsunami,” meaning a financial crisis. There’s also “silver tsunami,” which describes our rapidly graying society. That kind of usage annoys me when I think of the thousands of people who died in the earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan in 2011.
I hear you, Kyohei. I’m sure people don’t mean to be insensitive, but I can understand your discomfort. On a more pleasant note, the word senpai is increasingly popular in English, too. It’s already found its way into some major English dictionaries. But I’m still a little unclear as to is exact meaning.
In standard Japanese, senpai means someone superior to you or who is ranked higher. Or someone you look up to as a role model. To anime fans, senpai can refer to anyone whose attention you want to get-like someone you admire and want to be friends with, or someone you’re interested in romantically.
Thanks, Kyohei. You’re my go-to senpai when it comes to Nihongo!
