Not sure which is better

[thesuker]

When referring to a western-style living-room, which would be normally used by a native Japanese person? リビング or いま? (both appear on Erin's 'at home' vocabulary section as living-room)

 

[Mike Cash]

That the language borrowed a word from a western language should provide a good basis for a strong assumption....

 

[thesuker]

OK, I'll strongly assume リビング is used then. Here in Spain many English words have been borrowed to describe certain 'modern' activities, such as 'running', 'spinning', 'stepping' and such, and their use is considered a bit snobbish. Just wanted to make sure it's not the same case in Japanese.

 

[Mike Cash]

OK, I'll strongly assume リビング is used then. Here in Spain many English words have been borrowed to describe certain 'modern' activities, such as 'running', 'spinning', 'stepping' and such, and their use is considered a bit snobbish. Just wanted to make sure it's not the same case in Japanese.

Not always necessarily snobbish so much as "trendy", but yes we do have the same phenomenon here.

Borrowed words (外来語 ) too often turn out to be false friends to the foreigner in Japan, as they may be used with very different meanings than in the original language. So you can have a Japanese speaker and a foreigner talking together and using a word they're sure the other will understand...and actually be totally misunderstanding eacb other.

 

[thesuker]

Thanks for the explanation, it's been very helpful.