Learning Japanese can sometimes feel like stepping into a linguistic funhouse. You spot a word in katakana that looks familiar and you think, “Great, I already know this one!” But then reality hits: If you go over to a Japanese-speaking friend’s “mansion” (マンション), you’ll be surprised when you don’t see a sprawling estate!

Welcome to the world of 外来語 (gairaigo), or loanwords. Some of them come with a twist: They have shifted just enough from their original meaning to surprise learners. Let’s look at six everyday examples.

👖 ズボン (zubon): pants

Source: French jupon, meaning “skirt”
Background: Traditional Japanese attire didn’t include dresses or skirts, so when this word first appeared in the 19th century, it was used to refer to various kinds of legwear. Today, ズボン (zubon) refers specifically to pants. Incidentally, there’s also the word パンツ (pantsu) in Japanese, but be careful! This refers only to “underpants,” which can lead to some embarrassing exchanges for the uninitiated.

💼 アルバイト (arubaito): part-time job

Source: German Arbeit, meaning “work”
Background: In German, Arbeit refers to all kinds of work. In Japanese, the meaning narrowed to part-time work. However, there’s also the word パート (paato), from English “part-time work.” While there is no legal distinction between the two, アルバイト (arubaito) is typically used for shorter-term jobs and to refer to jobs done by students or young people, while パート (paato) is used more often for adults and longer-term work.

🎒 ランドセル (randoseru): elementary school backpack

Source: Dutch ransel, meaning “backpack”
Background: In Dutch, ransel is any backpack. In Japan, it became a cultural icon: the boxy, mono-colored, sturdy backpack every child carries on their first day of elementary school. ランドセル (randoseru) are built to last all six years of Japanese school and are engineered to protect both the contents and the wearer!

🫑 ピーマン (piiman): a green bell pepper

Source: French piment, meaning “chili pepper”
Background: Somewhere along the way, the spicy chili mellowed into the mild bell pepper. So when you hear ピーマン (piiman) in Japan, don’t expect heat—expect the green, mildly bitter vegetable kids famously dislike in school lunches.

👨‍❤️‍👨 アベック (abekku): a (romantic) couple

Source: French avec, meaning “with”
Background: Borrowed in the early 20th century, アベック (abekku) took on a life of its own. In Japanese, it doesn’t mean “with”—it means “two people together,” usually in a romantic context. It’s a bit old-fashioned now, but you can still hear it in retro songs or TV dramas.

🏢 マンション (manshon): an apartment / condominium

Source: English “mansion”
Background: In Japanese, there are two main words to describe conjoined dwellings: マンション (manshon) and アパート (apaato). マンション (manshon) typically suggests a sturdier building, often made of reinforced concrete, with higher rents and more prestige. アパート (apaato) are usually smaller, older, and built from wood or lighter materials. So if you live in a nicer apartment in Japan, you can invite your friends over to your マンション (manshon)—and mean it!

Loanwords are always good for a surprise

There are so many 外来語 (gairaigo) that can enrich your Japanese language learning journey. Just keep your mind open and your curiosity alive, and you’ll keep uncovering delightful twists along the way!