Hey there fellow netizens!

Today we’re going to learn some English!

“…wait, what? This is a Japanese lesson newsletter.”, surely you will say. Indeed it is!

Thing is, today we will learn some “Japanised” English, or “Jinglish”, as some call it (which, by technical standards, is probably not considered English anymore).

You’ve already had an introduction to them in earlier lessons, so I was thinking we could sort them out a little, as there are a few different levels.

Many of them are used in different contexts or with different meanings than in English and you wouldn’t want to get them mixed up.

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First, there are the usual suspects: borrowed words with the same meaning but with the spelling/pronunciation adjusted to fit the language.

When you go out to eat with your Japanese friends, you say:

ランチ(を)食べに行く？
ランチ (を) たべ に いく?
Wanna go have lunch?
Literally: "Lunch + eat + go?"

…where "lunch" evolved into ランチ.

Note: The “o / を” above is usually there because... grammar. In many situations they omit it though, as they prefer to shorten things out in casual conversations.

*Take note this is casual Japanese, not to be used on your Senpai if you want them to notice you.

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Then we proceed to the next level, the abbreviated Jinglish:

Let’s say you get turned down by the person you like. Your beloved Senpai wants to cheer you up so they say:

You:
先輩、好きな人にふられました！
せんぱい、すきな ひと に ふられました！
Senpai, the person I like turned me down!

Senpai:
何事も経験だから。 ドンマイ、ドンマイ！
なに ごと も けいけん だから。ドンマイ、ドンマイ！
Everything is an experience. So don’t mind, don’t mind!

Note: In some situations, ふられる can also be translated to “got dumped.”

For example:

彼女に振られた
かのじょにふられた
My girlfriend dumped me.

-- As you may have noticed ドンマイ is an abbreviation of the English “don’t mind”. In Japanese it’s used differently though, as you never say ドンマイ about yourself, meaning that you don’t mind. It is most often used when you have nothing to do with the situation but you want to cheer the other person up.

Let me give you another example:

You:
先輩、今日先生のこと( を )「お母さん！」と呼んでしまいました。。。
せんぱい、きょう せんせい の こと (を)「おかあさん！」 と よんで しまいました。。。
Senpai! I accidentally called my teacher “mom” today!

Senpai:
ああ、俺も昔あったな。ドンマイ、ドンマイ！
ああ、おれ も むかし あったな。ドンマイ、ドンマイ！
It’s allright, it happens to the best of us! ドンマイ、ドンマイ!

Literally:
A: Senpai! Today + は+ teacher + about + “mom” + called + しまった.
B: Aa, I/to me + also + a long time ago + happened. ドンマイ、ドンマイ!

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Quick grammar corner: “Verb-te” + しまった.

It is used to express regret when you accidentally did something you wish you hadn’t or when something happened to you and you regret that. To do that you take a verb in the “te” form and add しまった (past tense of しまう).

Here are some examples:

転んでしまった。
ころんで しまった。
I tripped (and fell).

授業中寝てしまった
じゅぎょうちゅう ねて しまった。
I fell asleep in class.

酔ってしまった。
よってしまった。
I got drunk.

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Now let’s put together what we’ve learned until now.
Anyone here knows the famous words from Skyrim?

That’s right!

Here’s how he says it in Japanese:

Guard:　
昔はお前みたいな冒険者だったが膝に矢を打ってしまって。。。
むかし は おまえ みたいな ぼうけんしゃ だった が ひざ に や を うって しまって。。。
I used to be an adventurer like you. Until I took an arrow to the knee...

You:　
まあ、ドンマイ、ドンマイ！
Oh, don’t let it get to you!

Literally: A long time ago + like you + adventurer + was + but + knee + に + arrow + shot (te form) + しまって…

*Please note that you’re not supposed to use お前（おまえ）when talking to someone, unless you are 110% sure that they won’t be bothered, as it is really rude.

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Now, time to go one step further, to the deepest level of jinglish.

This is called 和製英語（わせいえいご）, literally “Japanese-made English.”

-- Say you have a car. Say the windshield got smashed.

How would you explain that in Japanese?

フロントガラス割れちゃった。
フロントガラス われちゃった。
The windshield broke.

Yes, windshield in Japanese is フロントガラス, literally “front glass.”

-- Say you’re going clothes shopping and there’s no size written on the label:

このドレスフリーサイズだよね？
この ドレス は フリーサイズ　だよね？
This dress is one-size-fits-all right?

One-size-fits-all? Too long, so they just went for フリーサイズ: “free size.”

-- And what happens when you go out drinking with your friends and you lose at rock-paper-scissors?
That’s right, you become the ハンドルキーパー, literally the handle keeper.
So no more alcohol for you, buddy, because you are the designated driver.

ジャンケンに負けてしまったから今夜はハンドルキーパーだ。
ジャンケン に まけて しまった から 今夜 は ハンドルキーパーだ。
I lost at rock-paper-scissors, so tonight I’m the designated driver.

-- How about when you don’t really care about girly stuff but you have just this one soft spot:

チアガールの衣装大好き!
チアガール　の　いしょう　だいすき！
I love cheerleader outfits!

Cheerleader? No no, better make it “cheer girl” (チアガール).

Well, it was a long journey but there you have it, beloved netizens, a quick break-down on the different types of Jinglish.

See you next time.

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This lesson was written by Adriana, a guest contributor.