You may know more Japanese than you think.
Japanese words have quietly made themselves at home in our everyday vocabulary, popping up everywhere from our phones and lunchboxes to restaurants, business books and wellness trends. Some are so familiar that we barely think of them as Japanese anymore.
So, how many of these do you already speak?
And because knowing the word is only half the fun, we’ve added a little pronunciation help to give you some extra street cred.
Get Your Ticket Today! Get Your Ticket Today!
1. Emoji 絵文字
Say it: eh-moh-jee
Yes, emoji is Japanese.
It comes from e (絵), meaning “picture,” and moji (文字), meaning “character.” It has nothing to do with the English word “emotion,” despite the very convenient coincidence.
Emoji first took off through Japanese mobile-phone culture before becoming a worldwide language of their own.
And really, haven’t you ever wondered why there are so many distinctly Japanese options hiding in your phone? 🍙🍱🍡🎏🏯🍣🍵
Now you know.
2. Karaoke カラオケ
Say it: kah-rah-oh-keh
Possibly one of Japan’s most ubiquitous exports.
Kara means “empty,” while oke is short for “orchestra.” Put them together and you literally get “empty orchestra.”
The bigger revelation may be how it’s actually pronounced in Japanese: kah-rah-oh-keh, rather than our familiar “carry-oh-key.”
Use the Japanese version next karaoke night and enjoy your newfound linguistic superiority. 🎤
3. Umami うま味
Say it: oo-mah-mee
Sweet. Sour. Salty. Bitter. And… umami.
Often described as savoury, rich or deeply satisfying, umami is the fifth basic taste.
Think miso, mushrooms, tomatoes, parmesan, dashi and all those flavours that make you immediately want another bite.
It’s one of those Japanese words we borrowed because English simply didn’t have a better one.
4. Matcha 抹茶
Say it: mah-tcha
Once something most people outside Japan would encounter primarily through a Japanese tea ceremony, matcha has become a global phenomenon.
Lattes. Chocolates. Desserts. Smoothies. Skincare.
The finely ground green tea has travelled well beyond the teahouse and become a flavour, colour and lifestyle category all its own.
5. Bento 弁当
Say it: ben-toh
A bento is technically a boxed meal, but Japanese bento culture is about much more than putting lunch in a container.
There’s balance, variety, presentation, seasonality and often a little bit of love involved too.
Today, “bento box” has become part of everyday English, even when what’s inside isn’t particularly Japanese.
6. Kawaii かわいい
Say it: kah-wah-ee
You probably know this one if you spend any time around Japanese pop culture.
Kawaii means “cute,” but the word has grown far beyond its literal definition. It can describe an entire Japanese aesthetic and cultural sensibility, from fashion and character goods to food, art and design.
Important pronunciation tip: it’s kah-wah-ee, not “ka-WHY.”
Instant street cred.
7. Omakase おまかせ
Say it: oh-mah-kah-seh
You’ve probably seen omakase associated with Michelin-starred sushi restaurants and elaborate chef’s tasting menus.
But it’s not really a sushi word at all.
It comes from the verb makaseru, meaning “to entrust.”
You can say:
Omakase shimasu. おまかせします。
oh-mah-kah-seh shee-mahss
And what you’re really saying is:
“I trust you. You decide.”
Choosing dinner? Leave it to your friend. Asking someone to pick the wine? Omakase shimasu. Letting the expert decide what’s best?
Same idea.
Suddenly, this one becomes considerably more useful.
8. Kaizen 改善
Say it: kai-zen
Kaizen literally means “improvement,” but internationally it has come to represent the philosophy of continuous improvement through small, ongoing changes.
The term became particularly well known in Western business circles after Japanese management consultant Masaaki Imai published his influential 1986 book Kaizen: The Key to Japan’s Competitive Success, introducing Japanese approaches to gradual, continuous improvement to a much wider international audience.
You don’t need to completely reinvent something overnight.
Make it a little better today. Then a little better tomorrow.
That’s kaizen.
9. Ikigai 生きがい
Say it: ee-kee-guy
Ikigai is often translated as your “reason for being,” although in Japanese it doesn’t necessarily need to be quite so profound.
It’s the thing that gives your life meaning, satisfaction or simply something to look forward to.
That could be your work. Your family. A hobby. Your community. Creating something. Taking care of your garden. Meeting a friend for coffee.
Your ikigai doesn’t have to change the world.
It just has to matter to you.
10. Mottainai もったいない
Say it: moht-tai-nai
And now for your Japanese vocabulary big flex.
There isn’t a perfect one-word English translation for mottainai.
You might say it when food is being thrown away or when something useful is being discarded: “What a waste!”
But mottainai carries something more than that.
It’s the feeling that something has value, and that value should be respected.
Food shouldn’t be wasted. A beautifully made object shouldn’t be casually discarded. Materials can be reused. Something old can be repaired, repurposed, passed along or cherished for years.
It’s a small word carrying some very big ideas about gratitude, sustainability and our relationship with the things we own.
And perhaps that’s why some Japanese words travel so well.
Sometimes another language already has the perfect word for something we’ve always felt, tasted or understood but never quite knew how to say.
So next time you send an emoji while drinking matcha, pack a bento, order omakase or tell yourself that throwing something perfectly good away would be mottainai…
Congratulations.
You speak a little more Japanese than you thought. 🇯🇵
