100 Most Essential Words In Anime (2023)

A couple of years ago when I first started to read manga in Japanese, I really wish I had access to a list like this. Watching anime over the years had allowed me to pick up at least a partial vocabulary of common expressions. Having subtitles helped, but by the time I started learning Japanese formally and practicing with manga, I ran across a problem.

Most Japanese classes focus on formal, "proper" language and tend to discourage colloquialisms. This is for good reason. The "polite" forms in Japanese are necessary in learning grammar and word order, especially for beginners where more plain forms of the language can be confusing.

Intellectually I knew this, but I still had a problem. For example, my first attempt at manga had me reading Mitsuru Adachi's "Short Program". I kept finding that everyone in the manga was named "omae".

A little while later, I found out that "omae" is one of several informal ways of aying "you."Prior to that, my only word for "you" was "anata." See what I mean now?

So about a year ago I thought about making a list of similar phrases that all anime fans should know, but aren't usually covered in the Basic Japanese Series. Unfortunately I didn't move fast enough. Reproduced below is the Yale Anime Society's Page of 100 Most Essential Words in Anime in all its glory.

I have not changed any of the text, although I have organized the code a bit and cleaned things up. It's a pretty good selection... just about all the choices I would have made.

In the future I will come up with some additions, but for now I am leaving the document itself untouched for your interest. Everything between the double-rainbow bars is the property of the Yale Anime Society and David Soler.

At the end of the document is contact information for yours truly. Please feel free to send comments, questions and whatnot.

Thanks for coming by, and enjoy the list. Remember, this list is for you the fan, made by fans.

THE 100 MOST ESSENTIAL WORDS IN ANIME
by David Soler

Note: Since I want this to be readable in programs with no formatting ability, I'm employing a modified romanization system. Instead of putting a diacritical marking above an "o" to indicate a doubled length, I'll write out "ou." I'm assuming that readers will be familiar with the standard romanization system. If not, anypocket Japanese-English dictionary will provide a complete explanation ofJapanese romanization.

Disclaimers: This glossary contains my choice of the 100 words which I deem to be most common and/or essential in anime. Obviously, my opinion is different from that of others. Students of Japanese should also be cautioned against using this vocabulary without regard to proper context. To choose an obvious example, don't attempt curses outside of you close circle of friends. My friend Akihiko Watanabe has graciously consented to proofread my work. Of course, any errors which remain are strictly my own.

1. abunai- dangerous.

The term has a broader application inJapanese than a direct translation would suggest, being employed in situations where an English speaker would say "Duck!" or "Look out!" Another common usage is as a euphemism for "deviant," i.e. a "dangerous" relationship (abunai kankei).

2. ai- love.

If a native speaker wanted to specify romantic love,he would use the character pronounced koi (or ren, depending on thecontext).

3. aite- opponent.

Be careful, the word has many applicationsthat are counter-intuitive. A more literal reading of the characterswould be "the one whom I must face." As a result, the word can also refer to one's dancing partner or the person whom you are addressing in a two-person conversation.

4. akuma- Satan, Devil.

As with it's English counterparts, thisword can be used figuratively.

5. arigatou- Thanks.

The full formula is arigatougozaimasu.

6. baka- an all-purpose insult denigrating the subject'sintelligence.

Depending on tone of voice and other factors, it can range in severity from "silly" to "retard." Other similar insults are aho and manuke, although manuke is more specifically "dolt, buffoon."

7. bakemono- monster.

8. be-da!- the sound made by Japanese when they perform akanbe,

a gesture of contempt made by sticking out the tongue and bringing down one lower eyelid. The gesture is analogous to a Bronx cheer or "Nyah nyah nyah nyahnyah."

9. bijin- a beautiful woman.

In terms of frequency and usage, it's best likened to "babe." However, it's still acceptable in formal speech registers, so is not inherently disrespectful.

10. chigau- a verb meaning "to deviate, be different."

In standard Japanese, it's used to declare that someone is wrong. When shouted as an explanation, it's meaning is closer to "No way!" or "Don't be ridiculous!/You are SO off-base!"

11. chikara- strength, power.

12. chikusho- an exclamation of frustration,

equivalent to "Damn!"or "Shit!" Comparable exclamations are kuso (literally "shit") andshimatta.

13. chotto- a little.

Differs from its English counterpart inthat it can only be used as an adverb. (The adjectival form is chiisai.) When exclaimed, it means "Hold it!" or "Cut it out!"

14. daijoubu- O.K.

Most often encountered in anime when onecharacter inquires as to another's health.

15. damaru- be still, silent.

Most often found in its imperativeform, Damare!, meaning "Shut up!/Silence!"

16. damasu- to deceive.

Often encountered in its passive form,damasareru, "to be tricked."

17. dame- bad, no good; no can do.

One very common usage is damedesu/dame da, uttered when refusing permission or indicating that something is a bad idea.

18. dare- who.

Note that certain particles placed after the wordwill alter its meaning, i.e. dareka-someone, anyone daremo-no onedaredemo-everyone.

19. doko- where.

20. fuzakeru- to play games, fool around.

It can also be shaded bytone of voice to assume a harsher meaning, like "bullshitting" or"screw/fuck around."

21. gaki- young, immature person.

Often translated as "brat" or"punk."

22. gambaru- a literal reading of the characters would be "to adhereto something with tenacity."

A very popular term used whenencouraging someone is a difficult task. Some English translations are"Hang in there!," "Don't give up!," "Do your best!," and "Give it yourall!" Note: the verb phrase shikkari suru has an overlapping meaning,but slightly different connotations. Apparently, the latter term impliesuse of innate abilities as opposed to a conscious act of willpower. Thetwo are generally interchangeable, though. The command forms of "gambaru"are "gambatte" and "gambare."

23. hayai- quick, fast, early.

The adverbial form hayaku means"Hurry up!" when exclaimed.

24. hen- strange, weird.

In compound noun phrases, it assumes anolder meaning of "change, transformation." One such compound that'sespecially popular in anime is henshin, meaning "physical transformation"a la Sailor Moon and Voltron.

25. hentai-

although a hen compound, it merits a separate entry.Its classical meaning is "metamorphosis, transformation." It later came tomean "abnormality," and in modern colloquial Japanese is used almostexclusively to mean "pervert" or "perversion." When a womaninsults aman in anime, she generally uses on of three terms: hentai, sukebe, andetchi. Sukebe implies "oversexed" rather than "deviant." Etchi can bequite mild in some contexts, comparable to "lewd" or "Fresh!" Thesethree terms are often used interchangeably, especially when someone isstringing together insults. Though not as frequent, the word (o-)kamarefers specifically to transvestitism and other gender-bending actionsassociated with homosexuality.

26. hidoi- severe, harsh.

As an exclamation, it means "Howterrible!" or "That's harsh/cold!" A spoken variant is "Hide-e!"

27. hime- princess.

28. ii- good.

An older variant, still current, is yoi. Yoku is theabverbial form. Yokatta is the familiar past tense. When used as anexclamation, it can mean "That's great!," but is usually bettertranslated as "I'm so glad!"

29. iku- to go.

Common conjugated forms are ikimashou, ikou,(Shall we go?/Let's go), ike and ikinasai (Go!/Begone!).

30. inochi- life.

There are a couple of words in Japanese whichcan be translated as "life," but inochi is the proper term in the moredramatic situations common in anime, such as "to stake one's life," "totake a life" and "more important than life."

31. itai- hurt, pain; painful.

A common explanation, it'sequivalent to "Ouch!" A frequent spoken variant is Ite-e!

32. jigoku- Hell. Hades.

33. joshikousei- a female high school student.

That's the literalmeaning, anyway. In Japan, it invariably refers specifically to a cutehigh school girl in a sailor uniform. That Japanese has such a compact,productive phrase for this image implies that it's an important archetypein the Japanese psyche.

34. kamawanai- regardless of.

When uttered as an exclamation, itmeans "I don't care!" Kamawan is a more brusque spoken variant.

35. kami- God, god.

This term can also be applied to anysupernatural being with a specific domain/charge/sphere.

36. kanarazu- an adverbial prefix indicating something will happen

surely and/or inevitably. As an exclamation, it means "I swear it!" or"No matter the cost!"

37. kareshi- boyfriend.

Kanojo is the equivalent word for"girlfriend." Koibito can be applied to both sexes, but it implies a moreserious relationship.

38. kawaii- cute.

More than a mere adjective, kawaii qualifies asan aesthetic and an obsession in Japan. A less common, secondary meaningis "cherished, beloved." Note: kawai sou means "How sad" or "Howpitiful."

39. kedo- but, but still.

More formal variants are keredo andkeredomo. The latter form is generally restricted to writing Japanesenowadays.

40. kega- wound, injury.

It's also possible to use this term torefer to a spiritual violation or defilement.

41. keisatsu- Police.

42. ki-

this term is used in countless compounds and idioms.Although there are too many to describe in detail, "ki" is generally usedin twosenses. One is its literal meaning of "air." The other is itsfigurative meaning of "spiritual essence." Many English speakersknowthis concept through the Chinese loan word "chi." One common compound iskimochi, the chi one bears, hence "mood."

43. kokoro- heart.

Common extensions of this meaning are"sincerity" and "spirit/willpower."

44. korosu- to kill.

Often occurring in the passive past tense(korosareta) and imperative tense (Korose).

45. kowai- to be frightful, afraid.

The exclamation Kowaii! Canbe translated as either "Scary thought!" or "I'm scared!," depending onthe context.

46. kuru- to come.

It's command form, Koi!, can mean either "Comehere!" or "Come on!"

47. mahou- magic, magic spell.

48. makaseru- to place one's trust in someone or something,

to count on.

49. makeru- to lose.

The phrase Makeru mon ka! Means "Ican't/won't give up!" or "I'll never give up!"

50. mamoru- to protect, guard.

The inflected form most commonlyfound in anime is mamotte ageru, "I'll protect you."

51. masaka- Can it be?; It can't be!, No!

52. matsu- to wait.

The shouted command "Wait" is "Matte(kudasai)!" or "Machinasai!" Mate! is an abbreviated form ofMatte!

53. mochiron- of course, without a doubt.

54. mou- already.

As an exclamation of frustration, it means"Enough!" or "Geez!"

55. musume- young woman.

As an epithet, ko musume is strongerthan a literal translation of "little girl" would suggest. When used inthis sense, "girlie" or "bitch" come closer to capturing themeaning.

56. naka- a word referring to one's relations, both familial andplatonic.

Nakayoku suru means "to get along." "Nakama" means "closefriend(s)" or "trusted ally(-ies)."

57. nani- what.

58. naruhodo- I see.; So.

59. nigeru- to flee.

Often used in the imperative form, Nigete!or Nigero!, in which case it's best translated as "Run!" or "Getaway!"

60. ningen- human; humanity.

Refers to mankind as a species,especially when contrasted with alien races, demons, elves, etc.

61. ohayou- abbreviated form of ohayou gozaimasu, "good morning."

Men have the option of using the reduced form ossu in casualspeech.

62. okoru- to get angry.

63. onegai- truncated form of onegai shimasu, "I beg of you," "Please"or "Pretty please."

Without the o- prefix, it means "wish."

64. oni- demon, ogre, or any other supernatural life form inimical tomankind.

65. Ryoukai!- message received and understood-"Roger!"

66. Saa- a noncommittal reply indicating that one has understood astatement and given it serious thought.

Some possible translations are"So!," "Well!," and "Beats me!" (A good English equivalent might be theBritish "Innit?")

67. sasuga- a person is living up to his reputation or the speaker'spersonal expectations.

Yahari, on the other hand, refers tosituations proceeding as expected or dreaded. (Yahari is often translatedas "I knew it!" when used in exclamatory mode.) Yappari is a more casualvariant of yahari. Other like terms are aikawarazu, "the same asalways," and Sono touri, which means just so when employed as a responseto a question.

68. sempai- anyone who is one's senior in a hierarchicalorganization.

The term cuts across all classes and occupations, andmust be translated according to context.

69. shikashi- however, but, nevertheless.

70. shikata ga nai- an expression meaning "No help for it," "No way toavoid it," "Nothing left but to deal with it."

Shou ga nai is anabbreviated form.

71. shinjiru- to believe in.

The inflected form most frequentlyencountered in anime is shinjirarenai, "I can't believe it!"

72. shinu- to die.

The most common inflected forms are Shinda,"Dead.", Shinanaide!, "Don't die!", and Shi'ne!, "Die!"

73. shitsukoi- persistent, relentless,

tenacious-at the very least aconstant pain in the ass.

74. sugoi- one of three common superlatives that all happen to beginwith su-.

The other two are suteki and subarashii. The three aregenerally interchangeable. However, sugoi often expresses an admirationfor someone else's power or talent, and may be mixed with a sense ofdread. It can straddle the line between "awesome"and "awful." Suteki is most often applied to physical appearance. It'sused most often by women, but it can be applied to both genders.Subarashii is more neutral and can be translated as "great." Althoughlacking the su- beginning, kakkoi is a superlative used mostly indescribing people-"Cool!" Note: A spoken variant of sugoi isSuge-e!

75. suki- affection, liking.

Also used to signify "love." Ifanything, the phrase "Suki da." is even more ambiguous than the English "Ilike you."

76. suru- to do.

A frequently occurring phrase is "Dou shiyou?,"meaning "(Oh,) What shall I do!"

77. taihen- when modifying an adjective, it means "extremely."

When it describes a situation without any other adjectives, it means"terrible."

78. tasukeru- to aid.

The exclamation "Tasukete kure!" = "Helpme!/Save me!"

79. tatakau- to fight, do battle.

80. teki- enemy.

81. tomodachi- friend.

82. totemo- very, extremely.

It can be pronounced tottemo toindicate extra enthusiasm.

83. unmei- fate, destiny.

84. uragirimono- traitor.

85. ureshii- happy.

As an exclamation, Ureshii! Can be translatedas "I'm so happy!" or even "Whee!"

86. urusai- noisy.

When used as an exclamation, it's besttranslated as "Be quiet!" and occasionally "Shut up!" Usse-e! is a spokenvariant.

87. uso- a lie.

As an exclamation, it can mean "You must bekidding!," "You lie!," or "No way!" Spoken variants are Usso! and Ussou.The word usotsuki means "liar."

88. uwasa- rumor.

89. wakaru- to understand.

Common inflections are wakatta(understood) and wakaranai (don't understand). Note that the abbreviatedforms of wakaranai are gender specific, with women favoring wakannai andmen likely to say wakaran or wakanne-e.

90. wana- trap, snare.

91. yabai- miserable, wretched (situation).

As an exclamation,this can be translated as "This is bad!" or an emphatic "Uh-oh."

92. yakusoku- promise, oath.

93. yameru- to stop, quit, terminate.

The exclamation Yamero! canbe translated as "Stop (it)!" or "Enough!"

94. yaru- this verb has several meanings.

It's a deferential form ofthe verb "to do." It's also a form of the verb "to give" reserved forgifts made to social inferiors (and plants and animals). Finally, it canmean "to try, attempt."

95. yasashii-

although pronounced the same as the Japanese word for"easy," in anime it's more likely to refer to the character for"splendid, exceptional." For example, yasashii seikaku means"good-natured" and yasashii hito means "a great guy."

96. yatta-

probably originated as the past tense of yaru, but haslongsince taken on an independent meaning. Used to proclaim victory or goodfortune. Possible translations include "Hooray!," "Banzai!," "I didit!," and "Yay!"

97. yoshi- an exclamation used when readying oneself to take animportant action.

Possible translations include "Here I come!," "Allright (,then)!" Spoken variants are yosshi and yo-oshi!

98. youkai- an occult monster.

Sometimes used as a general termfor occult phenomena.

99. yume- dream.

100. yurusu- to forgive, pardon.

Forms of this verb commonlyfound in anime are O-yurushi kudasai or Yurushite kudasai, meaning"Forgive me!" Even more common is yurusanai/yurusenai. This phrase canbe literally translated as "I won't/can't forgive you!," but an idiomatictranslation generally requires that attention be paid to the specificcircumstances in which the exclamation is shouted or growled. "I willgrant no quarter!" might work in some historical periods, but "You'refinished!" would work better in most contemporary settings. Otherpossibilities which work in certain circumstances are "Your day isdone!," "It's curtains for you!," "You're through!"...you get theidea.

A Word on Pronouns:

I was going to avoid discussing larger questions of syntax and usagealtogether. Unfortunately, the pronouns a character reveal so much aboutpersonality and background that I feel obligated to try and explainthem.

This aspect of Japanese is easily lost in translation, since in Englishthey can only be translated as "I" or "you." I'm including some personalconjectures in my explanations, so please forgive any errors that mayoccur.

When using the first person, the Japanese speaker can choose among thefollowing words: watashi, watakushi, atashi, boku, ore, sessha, washi,and atai. This list is by no means complete, also. All of these termsare translated "I" even though each word has differentconnotations.

Watashi is polite without indicating deference or formality. Boku isused by young men (and young women actively emulating male behavior).Ore is even more overtly masculine, and implies either that a man isspeaking among intimates (at the least that there are no women present)or that he is aggressively macho. Atashi is strictly feminine speech.Watakushi is an older form of watashi.

Today it's considered slightly more formal, and its use indicates that thespeaker is paying consciousattention to decorum. Watakushi is favored by women, but might also beused by men, especially in the service industry. Sessha is an olderform, and implies courtliness and modesty. Washi is used by older men inpositions of authority. Atai is associated with the lower class.

Japanese second-person pronouns include omae, onore, kisama, anata, anta,kimi, onushi, and temee. In practice, second-person pronouns are usuallyavoided-something possible because the Japanese language doesn't demandthat the subject be included in a sentence. There are signs thatJapanese teenagers and young adults are starting to use omae as anall-purpose pronoun analogous to the English "you." This practice is notentrenched in the language yet, and older usages still survive, so useomae with caution. Omae is traditionally used in conversation withsomeone dear to the speaker, and to many Japanese it is this romanticconnotation that is the truest sense of the word. Finally omae is usedas a familiar form of address, signaling that the speaker is brash,casual , and doesn't respect convention.

This assumption of familiaritycan be taken as insulting. Since omae has so many different (andsometimes clashing) connotations, use it with caution. Kisama is amasculine form of address which can be openly insulting. It seems thatin anime the brash, defiant hero can use omae while his villainouscounterpart will use kisama to indicate his distaste for the person he isaddressing. Onore was once formal usage, but is now considered rude andoffensive. Anata is generally used when speaking with social inferiors,and can be made insulting by tone of voice, BUT it also functions as anendearment when a woman uses it to speak with her husband. Anta is avariant of anata used by women, and is not necessarily rude. Kimi ismale speech, used when speaking to people you have direct authority over,i.e. a vice-president speaking to the secretary, or a teacher addressinga student. Kimi is also how a boy refers to his girlfriend. Onushi isarchaic polite usage, and sounds quaint when used in modernspeech.

Third person is easier because Japanese speech favors using title and/orsurname. Aitsu and yatsu are the two third-person pronouns that come tomind. Both are extremely casual, and generally slightly insulting. (Itappears that yatsu may be preferred when referring to people outside ofone's social class. An absolutely neutral way of referring to some oneelse is ano hito, "that person."

Complicating things further is that Japanese speakers actually have agood deal of flexibility in choosing which pronouns they use. Theextreme situations found in anime also lead to unorthodox usage. WhenRanma changes into a woman, do his speech patterns change?Let's takePai from 3x3 Eyes as a specific example. In her normal personality, sherefers to herself as "Pai" instead of using a first person pronoun. Shemay be mirroring the practice of her race's native language. However,using first-name instead of a first-person pronoun is common practice inJapan among children and child-like people. That's why Pai's speechseems natural and appropriate to a Japanese speaker. Conversely, in her"Sanjiyan" mode, Pai refers to herself as washi. That's because theSanjiyan personality is inhumanly old and powerful. Some less fantasticexamples of unorthodox speech include a male homosexual using femininespeech, and a female juvenile delinquent using masculine pronouns.

Pronouns are an especially complex and frustrating part of the Japaneselanguage, but they can impart a lot of information in a rapid and subtlefashion. This versatility in responding to different situations is oneof the Japanese language's defining characteristic, adding much to therichness and character of its speech.

(End of article. I welcome people forwarding this to interested parties,asking only that the credits be unchanged. Anything else would be unfairto me and my native informant. Any comments can be addressed todavid.soler@yale.edu andakihiko.watanabe@yale.edu)

Copyright 1997 David Soler

Comments?

Well that's it for now. As I've said, I make no claim to ownership of the information on this page as it is presented here. Maybe I'll make up my own list of 100 More Words, but for now, this will do. I hope you found the page informative, and that hosting it at my site has made it easier to access.

Fandom grows because of people like you! Feel free to respond to my e-mail address: tumble@ids.net. E-mail is a good thing!

Thanks again for visiting this page. Here are my other anime/manga-related pages for your viewing and information pleasure, as well as my other links. Click below! ^_^

• Back to Home Page
• Anime and Manga Info Center(faqs, guides and links featured here)
• My Anime and Manga Collection
• An Anime Fan Survival's Guide

Tumbleweed's Pages

Oh yeah! To send mail, comments, vague threats and whatnot... do so! at John Teehan at tumble@ids.net!