1. Why Katakana Words Used by Adults Can Confuse Even Japanese Speakers
Have you ever been confused by foreign words written in katakana that adults use in business, such as "evidence" (ebidensu), "agree" (aguri), or "agenda" (ajenda)? You are not alone. A survey conducted by the Agency for Cultural Affairs in 2018 revealed that many adults share this difficulty. [1]
According to the survey, 83.5 percent of people said they sometimes or often do not understand the meaning of loanwords and katakana words they read or hear. [1] Furthermore, 35.6 percent of respondents felt that using katakana words in speech or writing was "somewhat undesirable," which was much higher than the 13.7 percent who found it "desirable." [1] This shows that while these words are common, many people do not prefer using them.
2. Why Adults Choose Katakana Words Instead of Japanese Ones
So, why do adults go out of their way to use these katakana words? One reason is that when new ideas come from other countries, there may not be a perfect Japanese word for them yet.
A clear example is the word "evidence" (meaning proof or basis). The spread of this term began in 1990 when a doctor at a Canadian university introduced a new approach to medicine. [2] Initially, the doctor wanted to call this method "scientific medicine." However, colleagues objected, saying it implied that existing medicine was not scientific. [2] Instead, the term "evidence-based medicine" was officially announced in 1991. [2] This concept later spread beyond the medical field, and now "evidence" is used in business settings as well. [2]
Another suggested reason is that using katakana words can give a lighter or smarter impression than using native Japanese terms.
3. How the Katakana Word "Agree" Can Cause Misunderstandings
Katakana words can also have unexpected pitfalls. A prime example is "agree" (aguri), which is often used in business to mean "to consent" or "to say yes." [3]
However, the Japanese pronunciation of "agree" (aguri) may sound like the English word "ugly" (meaning unattractive) to English speakers. [3] If you say "agree" in the Japanese way, it might be misunderstood as calling something ugly. [3] This shows how katakana words can drift from their original English pronunciation and meaning. In a way, these are "Japanese-made foreign languages" that have developed their own rules within Japan.
4. The Government's Suggested Japanese Replacements for Difficult Katakana Words
The government itself has worried that too many difficult katakana words are being used. In 2002, the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics set up a committee on "loanwords." [4] They began looking for easier Japanese replacements for katakana words used in government documents and newspapers. [4]
Between 2003 and 2006, the committee published four sets of proposals, offering replacements for a total of 176 words. [4] For example, they suggested replacing "archive" (aakibu) with "archived records." [4] However, they did not try to remove all katakana words. Some people argued that forcing replacements for words that are already widely established could actually make communication harder. [4]
5. Why Katakana Words and Similar Japanese Words Do Not Always Mean the Same Thing
The earlier survey by the Agency for Cultural Affairs also asked people about pairs of words with similar meanings, such as "shishin" (guideline, in kanji) and "guideline" (gaidorain, in katakana). [1] They asked if these words meant the same thing or if they were used differently. [1]
For the pair "joint business entity" (kyodo jigyotai, kanji) and "consortium" (konshosiamu, katakana), 52.6 percent of people said they only understood the meaning of the kanji version. [1] When asked which word should be used in official documents for the general public, people preferred the kanji word over the katakana word in all six pairs tested. [1] This suggests that many people feel safer using familiar Japanese words when trying to communicate clearly to everyone. While katakana words may seem stylish or new, they do not always help people understand better. [1]
6. How You Can Investigate Katakana Words in Your Own Surroundings
If you want to learn more, try looking for katakana words in your own surroundings. You can ask your family members what katakana words they use at work, what they mean, and how to say them in plain Japanese. [1] You can also look for katakana words on TV or signs and think about how to explain them in Japanese. [1]
You might visit a library to look at dictionaries of loanwords or katakana words. [1] Another idea is to count how many katakana words are used in a news program. [1] If you write down just one word that interests you, like "What does 'agenda' really mean?", it can be a good starting point for your research.