20 Mind-Blowing Differences Between Japanese and English
Discover fascinating differences between Japanese and English that will change how you think about language. From backwards sentences to counting systems!
Think Japanese and English are just different words for the same things? Think again! These two languages are SO different that learning Japanese will literally rewire how you think about language itself.
Get ready for 20 mind-blowing differences that will make you say "Wait, WHAT?!" 🤯
Sentence Structure 📝
1. Everything is Backwards! 🔄
The biggest shock for English speakers:
| English | I + eat + sushi |
|---|---|
| Japanese | 私は + 寿司を + 食べます |
| Pattern | I + sushi + eat |
English: Subject → Verb → Object (SVO) Japanese: Subject → Object → Verb (SOV)
The verb ALWAYS comes at the end in Japanese. Until you hear the verb, you don't know the action!
English mind: "I'm going to the store to buy—" Japanese mind: "Store to, buying for, going—AM!"
2. You Don't Need Subjects! 😶
In English, you MUST say "I" – "went to school," "am happy."
In Japanese? Drop it if it's obvious!
| Complete | 私は学校に行きます (I go to school) |
|---|---|
| Natural | 学校に行きます (Go to school) |
| Context | It's clear YOU are going! |
Japanese drops subjects ~70% of the time! English would sound like robot speak: "Am hungry. Want food. Going now."
3. Questions Just Add か 🤔
Want to turn a statement into a question?
| Statement | これは本です (This is a book) |
|---|---|
| Question | これは本ですか？ (Is this a book?) |
That's it. Just add か. No word rearrangement, no "do you" or "is it." Magic! ✨
The Writing System 📚
4. THREE Alphabets at Once! 🔤🔤🔤
English has one alphabet. Japanese has THREE:
| Script | Characters | Used For |
|---|---|---|
| Hiragana | あいうえお | Native words, grammar |
| Katakana | アイウエオ | Foreign words, emphasis |
| Kanji | 日本語 | Meaning, Chinese origin |
A single sentence might use ALL three:
私はカフェでコーヒーを飲みます。 (I + at café + coffee + drink)
Kanji + hiragana + katakana + hiragana + kanji + hiragana!
5. No Spaces Between Words! 📏
English: I am going to school tomorrow.
Japanese: 私は明日学校に行きます。
No. Spaces. Anywhere. You have to recognize where words begin and end!
6. Multiple Readings for Characters! 🎭
The kanji 日 (sun/day) has FOUR common readings:
- にち (nichi): 日曜日 (Sunday)
- び (bi): 誕生日 (birthday)
- ひ (hi): 今日 (today – wait, this one is kyou!)
- か (ka): 三日 (3rd day)
English letters? One sound (mostly). Japanese kanji? Surprise! 🎲
Sounds & Pronunciation 🔊
7. Only 5 Vowel Sounds! 🎵
| English | 12-15 vowel sounds |
|---|---|
| Japanese | 5 vowel sounds |
Japanese: あ (a), い (i), う (u), え (e), お (o)
That's ALL. No tricky "a" sounds (cat vs. father vs. cake). Each vowel = one sound, always!
8. No L vs R Distinction! 👂
Japanese has ONE sound that's somewhere between L and R. So:
- "Rice" and "lice" → both らいす (raisu)
- "Right" and "light" → both ライト (raito)
- "Rock" and "lock" → both ロック (rokku)
This is why Japanese speakers struggle with L/R – their language doesn't separate them!
9. Syllables MUST End in Vowels! 🔠
English: "Strength" = 1 syllable, ends in consonant Japanese: ストレングス (su-to-re-n-gu-su) = 6 syllables!
Japanese syllables follow patterns:
- Vowel: a, i, u, e, o
- Consonant + Vowel: ka, shi, tsu, ne, mo
- N can stand alone: ん
"McDonald's" → マクドナルド (ma-ku-do-na-ru-do) = 6 syllables!
Grammar Mind-Benders 🧠
10. Particles Instead of Word Order! 🏷️
English uses word ORDER to show meaning:
- "Dog bites man" ≠ "Man bites dog"
Japanese uses PARTICLES (little grammar markers):
- 犬が人を噛んだ (Dog + SUBJECT + person + OBJECT + bit)
- 人が犬を噛んだ (Person + SUBJECT + dog + OBJECT + bit)
Move words around, keep particles attached, meaning stays clear!
11. No Plurals! 🐱🐱🐱
| English | cat → cats, box → boxes, child → children |
|---|---|
| Japanese | 猫 = cat OR cats |
One cat? 猫. Five cats? 猫. A million cats? Still 猫!
Context tells you how many. If it matters, add a number:
- 猫が三匹います (There are 3 cats)
12. No Articles! 📰
| English | "a book" / "the book" / "some books" / "the books" |
|---|---|
| Japanese | 本 (hon) – that's it! |
No "a" or "the." Context determines if you mean specific or general!
13. Past Tense is Simple! ⏰
English past tense is chaos:
- go → went
- eat → ate
- run → ran
- buy → bought
Japanese past tense is REGULAR:
- 行く → 行った (iku → itta)
- 食べる → 食べた (taberu → tabeta)
- 走る → 走った (hashiru → hashitta)
Learn the pattern once, apply to (almost) everything!
Politeness Levels 🎩
14. Multiple "You" Options! 👤👤👤
English: "You" – works for everyone!
Japanese:
| Word | Romaji | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| あなた | anata | Default, but often rude! |
| 君 | kimi | Casual, to equals/juniors |
| お前 | omae | Very casual, potentially rude |
| あんた | anta | Casual, sometimes sarcastic |
| 貴様 | kisama | Insulting (anime villains!) |
Best option: Use the person's NAME + さん instead of "you"!
15. Verb Forms Change with Politeness! 🎭
Same meaning, different respect levels:
| Level | "To eat" | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Plain | 食べる (taberu) | Close friends, casual |
| Polite | 食べます (tabemasu) | Default, strangers, work |
| Humble | いただく (itadaku) | About yourself to superiors |
| Honorific | 召し上がる (meshiagaru) | About superiors eating |
The same action can be expressed 4+ different ways!
16. Entire Conversations Can Be Reversed! 💫
Business Japanese is so polite it becomes different vocabulary:
| Casual | Polite Business |
|---|---|
| いる (iru) - to exist | いらっしゃる (irassharu) |
| 行く (iku) - to go | 参る (mairu) - humble |
| 言う (iu) - to say | おっしゃる (ossharu) - respectful |
Same language, but almost like learning vocabulary twice!
Cultural Concepts 🏯
17. "Yes" and "No" Work Differently! ✅❌
| Question | Japanese | English |
|---|---|---|
| "You don't like sushi?" | はい (Yes) → "Yes, I DON'T like it" | "No, I don't" |
Japanese agrees with the STATEMENT structure, not the feeling!
- "You're not going?" + はい = "That's right, I'm not going"
- But in English, we'd say "No, I'm not going"
This confuses EVERYONE at first!
18. Silence is Communication! 🤫
In English, silence is awkward. Fill the space!
In Japanese, silence can mean:
- I'm thinking respectfully
- I'm being polite
- I'm showing disagreement indirectly
- I'm absorbing what you said
沈黙は金 (Chinmoku wa kin) – "Silence is golden" applies LITERALLY!
19. Context is EVERYTHING! 🌏
Japanese leaves out SO much that context fills in:
行く？ (Iku?) "Go?"
This could mean:
- Are you going?
- Is he going?
- Should we go?
- Did you go?
- Will anyone go?
The context tells you which!
20. Counting Changes by Object! 🔢
English: 1 dog, 2 dogs, 3 dogs. Same pattern.
Japanese uses DIFFERENT counters by object shape/type:
| Objects | Counter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Long things | 本 (hon) | 鉛筆三本 (3 pencils) |
| Flat things | 枚 (mai) | 紙五枚 (5 papers) |
| Small animals | 匹 (hiki) | 猫二匹 (2 cats) |
| Large animals | 頭 (tou) | 象一頭 (1 elephant) |
| People | 人 (nin) | 学生四人 (4 students) |
There are 500+ counters in Japanese! (But you only need ~15 for daily life.)
Comparison Quick Reference
| Feature | English | Japanese |
|---|---|---|
| Word Order | SVO (Subject-Verb-Object) | SOV (Subject-Object-Verb) |
| Alphabets | 1 (plus punctuation) | 3 (+ kanji) |
| Vowel Sounds | 12-15 | 5 |
| Spaces | Between words | None |
| Plurals | Yes (-s, -es, etc.) | No |
| Articles | a, an, the | None |
| Subject Required | Yes | Often dropped |
| Politeness Levels | 2 (casual/formal) | 5+ levels |
| Counters | Few (sheets, loaves) | 500+ |
| L/R distinction | Yes | No |
Why This Matters for Learning
Understanding these differences helps you:
✅ Stop translating word-by-word – Think in Japanese patterns! ✅ Embrace ambiguity – Context is your friend, not your enemy ✅ Appreciate the logic – Japanese IS logical, just different logic! ✅ Make fewer mistakes – Know where your brain will trip ✅ Learn faster – Work WITH the differences, not against them
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Japanese harder than English?
Neither is "harder" – they're different! Japanese has simple pronunciation and regular verbs but complex writing. English has simple writing but chaotic pronunciation and grammar exceptions.
Do Japanese people find English weird?
YES! They're shocked by L/R distinctions, lack of politeness levels, and how direct English is. It goes both ways!
Should I forget English when learning Japanese?
Not forget, but try to THINK in Japanese patterns. Don't translate – express ideas directly in Japanese structure.
Conclusion: Embrace the Weird! 🤗
Japanese isn't "English with different words" – it's a completely different way of expressing human thought. And that's what makes it FASCINATING!
Key takeaways: ✅ Verbs go LAST (backwards to English brains!) ✅ Drop subjects freely – context is king ✅ 3 writing systems = visual richness ✅ Particles > word order ✅ Politeness changes EVERYTHING
Your next step: The foundation of reading Japanese is hiragana. Start learning with KanaDojo → and begin your journey into this beautifully different language!
日本語って面白いね！ (Nihongo tte omoshiroi ne!) Japanese is interesting, right?!
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