The tech world is a minefield of Japanese loanwords. Nearly all IT vocabulary is written in katakana, but don't assume it equals English. Japanese speakers have not only shortened many words, they've also invented a whole category of "looks-like-English-but-nobody-understands" wasei-eigo (和製英語, Japanese-made English).
This article systematically covers tech-related loanwords, from devices to the internet, from apps to workplace jargon.
Devices: Where Does パソコン Come From?
| Japanese | Origin | Original Word | Japanese Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| パソコン | Wasei-eigo | personal computer | computer |
| スマホ | Wasei-eigo | smartphone | smartphone |
| タブレット | English | tablet | tablet |
| プリンター | English | printer | printer |
| マウス | English | mouse | mouse |
パソコンが壊れたので、新しいのを買いました。 → My computer broke, so I bought a new one.
パソコン is a Japanese-style abbreviation of "personal computer" — taking パ from パーソナル and コン from コンピューター. English speakers say "PC" or "computer," never "pasokon."
Similarly, スマホ is short for スマートフォン (smartphone). Japanese speakers are experts at compressing loanwords to four syllables or fewer — remember this pattern and you'll be able to guess the full form of many words.
Japanese Abbreviation Patterns
| Abbreviation | Full Form | Original Word |
|---|---|---|
| パソコン | パーソナルコンピューター | personal computer |
| スマホ | スマートフォン | smartphone |
| コスパ | コストパフォーマンス | cost performance |
| リモコン | リモートコントロール | remote control |
| エアコン | エアコンディショナー | air conditioner |
The pattern: typically take the first 2 syllables of each component word and combine them.
Internet: ホームページ Doesn't Mean "Homepage"
| Japanese | Origin | Original Word | Japanese Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| インターネット | English | internet | internet |
| ホームページ | Wasei-eigo | homepage | website (the entire site, not just the front page!) |
| ブログ | English | blog | blog |
| SNS | Wasei-eigo | social networking service | social media |
会社のホームページを見てください。 → Please look at the company's website.
Here, ホームページ means the entire website, not just the front page as "homepage" means in English. This is an extremely common pitfall. If you plan to work at a Japanese company, you need to know this distinction.
SNS is also uniquely Japanese. In English, people say "social media," not "SNS."
Apps and Operations
| Japanese | Origin | Original Word | Japanese Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| アプリ | English | application | app |
| ダウンロード | English | download | download |
| アップロード | English | upload | upload |
| インストール | English | install | install |
| ログイン | English | log in | log in |
| ログアウト | English | log out | log out |
このアプリをダウンロードしてください。 → Please download this app.
パスワードを入れて、ログインします。 → Enter your password and log in.
This group is relatively safe — the meanings match English closely. Just note the pronunciation: ダウンロード has different stress patterns from the English "download."
Communication
| Japanese | Origin | Original Word | Japanese Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| メール | English | mail / email | |
| メッセージ | English | message | message |
| チャット | English | chat | chat |
| オンライン | English | online | online |
| リモート | English | remote | remote |
メールを送りましたので、確認してください。 → I sent an email, please check it.
今日はリモートで仕事をします。 → I'm working remotely today.
After COVID-19, リモート (remote) and オンライン (online) saw a massive increase in usage in Japanese. リモートワーク (remote work) and オンライン会議 (online meeting) have become everyday vocabulary.
IT Workplace Jargon
If you work at a Japanese IT company, you'll hear these loanwords constantly:
| Japanese | Origin | Original Word | Japanese Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ミーティング | English | meeting | meeting |
| プレゼン | English | presentation | presentation |
| スケジュール | English | schedule | schedule |
| フィードバック | English | feedback | feedback |
| アジェンダ | English | agenda | agenda |
| デッドライン | English | deadline | deadline |
明日のミーティングのアジェンダを送ります。 → I'll send the agenda for tomorrow's meeting.
プレゼン is short for プレゼンテーション (presentation) and is extremely common in the workplace.
Wasei-Eigo Traps: Tech Edition
The tech world also has plenty of wasei-eigo that don't match their English equivalents:
| Japanese | What You'd Expect | Actual Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ノートパソコン | notebook personal computer | laptop (English says "laptop") |
| フリーWi-Fi | free Wi-Fi | free Wi-Fi (happens to be correct, but "free" in Japanese also often means "freelance") |
| ガラケー | — | flip phone / feature phone (abbreviation of ガラパゴス + ケータイ) |
| ワンクリック | one click | one click (meaning is correct but pronunciation is very Japanese) |
ノートパソコンを持ってきてください。 → Please bring your laptop.
ガラケー is a fascinating word. It combines ガラパゴス (Galapagos) + ケータイ (携帯 = mobile phone), describing Japan's uniquely evolved feature phones — just like the species that evolved independently on the Galapagos Islands.
Summary
- パソコン, スマホ, コスパ are all Japanese abbreviations — take the first 2 syllables of each component word
- ホームページ in Japanese means an entire website, not just the homepage
- SNS is a uniquely Japanese term; English speakers say "social media"
- Tech operation words (ダウンロード, ログイン, etc.) closely match their English meanings
- リモート and オンライン are post-pandemic high-frequency words
- ガラケー comes from ガラパゴス + ケータイ, referring to non-smartphone feature phones
Practice Quiz
Q1. What two English words is パソコン abbreviated from?
Show Answer
パーソナル (personal) and コンピューター (computer). The first two syllables of each are combined to make パソコン. English speakers say "PC" or "computer," never "pasokon."
Q2. Your Japanese colleague says「会社のホームページを見てください」. What are they asking you to look at?
Show Answer
They're asking you to look at the company's website (the whole site), not just the homepage. Japanese ホームページ means "website," while English "homepage" refers only to the front page.
Q3. What is the full form of ガラケー, and why is it called that?
Show Answer
The full form is ガラパゴスケータイ (Galapagos + 携帯). Japan's feature phones evolved many unique features (TV tuner, e-wallet, etc.) that diverged from global smartphone trends, much like the species that evolved independently on the Galapagos Islands — hence the nickname.