Japanese
/ˌdʒæp.əˈniːz/adjective, noun
Japanese is spelled J-A-P-A-N-E-S-E: 8 letters and 3 syllables. It appears 65 times per million words in written English, the 1,636th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, Japanese means “Of, relating to, derived from, or characteristic of Japan, its people, language, or culture” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in Japanese?
| Letters | 8: J-A-P-A-N-E-S-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 65 times per million words; the 1,636th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is Japanese?
Japanese appears 65 times per million words in written English, the 1,636th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce Japanese?
- /ˌdʒæp.əˈniːz/
Japanese has 3 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-Japanese.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of Japanese
- more Japanese comparative
- most Japanese superlative
- Japaneses plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does Japanese mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of, relating to, derived from, or characteristic of Japan, its people, language, or culture.
A Japanese saw is one that cuts on the pull stroke rather than on the push stroke.
- 2
Of or relating to the Yamato people.
The Ainu were subject to forced assimilation by the Japanese since at least the 18th century.
noun
- 1
A native or inhabitant of Japan.
- 2
A member of the predominant ethnic group of Japan, also found throughout the world in diaspora.
A Japanese will typically have black hair, brown eyes, and pale skin.
- 3
Ellipsis of Japanese food.
Let’s go out to eat. I’m in the mood for Japanese.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Japanese in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | japonais , Japonais, Japonaise, Nippon, Nippone |
| German | japanisch , Japaner (Japanerin f; Japanese m) |
| Portuguese | japonês, nipônico , japonesa |
| Spanish | japonés, nipón, ponja , japonesa, nipona |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does Japanese come from?
From Japan + -ese after the model of earlier Portuguese japonês, New Latin japonensis, French japonais, etc.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).