I am writing a speech for my Japanese Conversation class, and as part of my research, I put together this short survey. If you have the time, I would love to get your opinions ^_^.
I have put most kanji readings in parenthesis after the words. Also, I've added a general translation to each question, just in case my Japanese is hard to understand (I had a Japanese friend look it over, but just in case).
The topic is Japanese slang and miss-translation. Most of the questions are aimed at Japanese people, or people who have been speaking Japanese for some time, but others are more general. You are welcome to answers only the questions that pertain to you.
Also (and optionally) if you do not mind, please tell me your general age, that is, HS/college student, professional, retiree, etc. and your Japanese background, that is, native speaker, beginner, etc.
I will be using your answers, along with the answers of Japanese people and Japanese Students I am interviewing around my campus to make a presentation for my Japanese Conversation class, and I will be sure to give anyone who helps credit in my speech.
Thank you very much for your help ^_^
１．）最近（さいきん）、多く（おおく）のアメリカ人はT -シャツや音楽（おんがく）の中で日本語を使います（つかいます）。でも、時々この日本語は変（へん）で、ちんぷんかんぷん（nonsense) です。これは見たことがありますか。どんな物（もの）を見ましたか。何を言いましたか。
Recently, I have seen many Americans with Japanese on their T-Shirts, or in American Pop-Music. However, sometimes the Japanese I see is strange, or nonsense. Have you seen T-Shirts or heard music like this? What did they say?
２．）私は日本の政変（せいへん）やT － シャツや商品（しょうひん）の上に変な英語（えいご）の文章（ぶんしょう）をよく見て、日本のポピョラー音楽（おんがく）の中でも変な言葉（ことば）をよく聞きます。これを見た事（こと）がありますか（例えば、engrish.com）。どんな事を見ましたか。この間違い（まちがい）をした事がありますか。
あなたは変な（へんな）英語（えいご）をまちがえて使えた（つかえた）ことがありますか。
I have often seen strange/gibberish English sentences on Japanese signs, Japanese t-shirts, on Japanese products, or in Japanese popular music (for example Engrish.com). Have you also seen examples of this? Please tell me about them. Have you ever mistakenly used strange/incorrect English like this?
３．）カタカナの言葉（ことば）が英語から入って（はいって）きたのに、言葉を縮め（ちぢめ（る））たり、逆（ぎゃく）にしたりするから、私は時々分かりません。（例えば（たとえば）、「カンベ」⇒「カンニン・ペーパー」(cheat sheet)、「サングラス」⇒「グラサン」(sunglasses)）ほか例（れい）が知っていますか（しっていますか）。これら言葉（ことば）を書く時、英語の意味（いみ）を考えますか（かんがえますか）。
Although words in katakana (mostly) come from English, sometimes because the words are shortened or reversed in Japanese it is difficult for me (and English speaker) to recognize/understand them. (For example GURASAN from sunglasses, or KANPE from cunning paper / cheat sheet). When you (as a Japanese speaker or Japanese learner) use these words, do you think of their English origins?
４．）俗語（ぞくご）の言葉（ことば）を作る（つくる）ために普通（ふつう）の日本の言葉（ことば）を逆（ぎゃく）にしますね。時々「統語（とうご）」と言います。（例えば（たとえば）、「種（たね － seed）」⇒「ネタ（seed of an idea）」、「口る（くちる-to speak (vulg)）」⇒「チクル（to tattle）」実例（じつれい）を知っていますか。どんな人こられの言葉（ことば）と使えますか（つかえますか）。作りますか（つくりますか）。あなたは作ったことがありますか。
In order to make a slang word, the Japanese sometimes take an existing Japanese word and reverse it (for example, "seed" becomes "seed of an idea", "to speak" becomes "to tattle") Do you know of other Japanese words like this? What kinds of people use these words? What kinds of people make these words up? Have you ever made up one of these words?
５．）昔（むかし）はやっていた言葉（ことば）で、今は死語（しご）と見なされる言葉（ことば）を知っていますか（例えば、英語（えいご）で「groovy」は死語（しご）です）。それらは何ですか。
Do you know of any words that you used as a child that are now seen as "dead words" (that is words that are no longer used / no longer cool, for example in English "groovy"), what are they?
Thanks for your help,
-Matthew
I have put most kanji readings in parenthesis after the words. Also, I've added a general translation to each question, just in case my Japanese is hard to understand (I had a Japanese friend look it over, but just in case).
The topic is Japanese slang and miss-translation. Most of the questions are aimed at Japanese people, or people who have been speaking Japanese for some time, but others are more general. You are welcome to answers only the questions that pertain to you.
Also (and optionally) if you do not mind, please tell me your general age, that is, HS/college student, professional, retiree, etc. and your Japanese background, that is, native speaker, beginner, etc.
I will be using your answers, along with the answers of Japanese people and Japanese Students I am interviewing around my campus to make a presentation for my Japanese Conversation class, and I will be sure to give anyone who helps credit in my speech.
Thank you very much for your help ^_^
１．）最近（さいきん）、多く（おおく）のアメリカ人はT -シャツや音楽（おんがく）の中で日本語を使います（つかいます）。でも、時々この日本語は変（へん）で、ちんぷんかんぷん（nonsense) です。これは見たことがありますか。どんな物（もの）を見ましたか。何を言いましたか。
Recently, I have seen many Americans with Japanese on their T-Shirts, or in American Pop-Music. However, sometimes the Japanese I see is strange, or nonsense. Have you seen T-Shirts or heard music like this? What did they say?
２．）私は日本の政変（せいへん）やT － シャツや商品（しょうひん）の上に変な英語（えいご）の文章（ぶんしょう）をよく見て、日本のポピョラー音楽（おんがく）の中でも変な言葉（ことば）をよく聞きます。これを見た事（こと）がありますか（例えば、engrish.com）。どんな事を見ましたか。この間違い（まちがい）をした事がありますか。
あなたは変な（へんな）英語（えいご）をまちがえて使えた（つかえた）ことがありますか。
I have often seen strange/gibberish English sentences on Japanese signs, Japanese t-shirts, on Japanese products, or in Japanese popular music (for example Engrish.com). Have you also seen examples of this? Please tell me about them. Have you ever mistakenly used strange/incorrect English like this?
３．）カタカナの言葉（ことば）が英語から入って（はいって）きたのに、言葉を縮め（ちぢめ（る））たり、逆（ぎゃく）にしたりするから、私は時々分かりません。（例えば（たとえば）、「カンベ」⇒「カンニン・ペーパー」(cheat sheet)、「サングラス」⇒「グラサン」(sunglasses)）ほか例（れい）が知っていますか（しっていますか）。これら言葉（ことば）を書く時、英語の意味（いみ）を考えますか（かんがえますか）。
Although words in katakana (mostly) come from English, sometimes because the words are shortened or reversed in Japanese it is difficult for me (and English speaker) to recognize/understand them. (For example GURASAN from sunglasses, or KANPE from cunning paper / cheat sheet). When you (as a Japanese speaker or Japanese learner) use these words, do you think of their English origins?
４．）俗語（ぞくご）の言葉（ことば）を作る（つくる）ために普通（ふつう）の日本の言葉（ことば）を逆（ぎゃく）にしますね。時々「統語（とうご）」と言います。（例えば（たとえば）、「種（たね － seed）」⇒「ネタ（seed of an idea）」、「口る（くちる-to speak (vulg)）」⇒「チクル（to tattle）」実例（じつれい）を知っていますか。どんな人こられの言葉（ことば）と使えますか（つかえますか）。作りますか（つくりますか）。あなたは作ったことがありますか。
In order to make a slang word, the Japanese sometimes take an existing Japanese word and reverse it (for example, "seed" becomes "seed of an idea", "to speak" becomes "to tattle") Do you know of other Japanese words like this? What kinds of people use these words? What kinds of people make these words up? Have you ever made up one of these words?
５．）昔（むかし）はやっていた言葉（ことば）で、今は死語（しご）と見なされる言葉（ことば）を知っていますか（例えば、英語（えいご）で「groovy」は死語（しご）です）。それらは何ですか。
Do you know of any words that you used as a child that are now seen as "dead words" (that is words that are no longer used / no longer cool, for example in English "groovy"), what are they?
Thanks for your help,
-Matthew
