English Words in Japanese: Understanding Katakana Loanwords

Japanese has borrowed thousands of words (gairaigo), mostly written in katakana. Once you learn the sound rules, you get vocabulary almost for free.

Common examples

• コーヒー (kōhī) — coffee
• テレビ (terebi) — television
• コンビニ (konbini) — convenience store
• アイス (aisu) — ice cream
• パソコン (pasokon) — personal computer

How the sounds change

• Extra vowels get added (milk → ミルク miruku).
• L and R both become the ら-row (light → ライト).
• Long words get shortened (smartphone → スマホ sumaho).

A word of caution

Some loanwords have shifted meaning — マンション (manshon) means an apartment, not a mansion. So confirm rather than assume.

Learn to read katakana fluently and you''ll recognise hundreds of familiar words instantly.