

As a combination of two old words with overlapping definitions, it is another Japanese word with roots in the Buddhist tradition. Wabi-sabi is a Japanese motif for finding the beauty in imperfection. It reflects a cultural focus on protecting what is pure and harmless and what might not be able to protect itself.

Lionbridge Country Manager, Japan, Miki Inagaki explains, “As a word, kawaii has a much broader definition than just ‘cute.’ You could call a baby or a child kawaii, just like you could call them ‘cute,’ but you might also call small flowers kawaii when you’d never call them ‘cute’ in English.” For the Japanese people, kawaii is more than just a cartoon kitten or animated superhero. Kawaii describes what the English language cannot. When you think of the wide-eyed, bright-faced characters of Japanese cartoons, the word “cute” just doesn’t seem to cover it. It can also be used in place of “sincerely” or “regards” as a closing to an email.

For example, you can use the expression to convey gratitude when asking someone for a favor. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu is a formal way to greet someone or say, “nice to meet you.” But it can be applied to a variety of other situations to communicate respect and politesse. In Japanese culture it is very important to give a respectful greeting. Here are some of the most captivating yet most mystifying Japanese words and phrases: Our team of dedicated language experts work to provide the most accurate translations, no matter how challenging the project. This makes the language exceptionally beautiful, but also exceptionally difficult to translate. 日本 Nihon-"Japan” in Japanese-literally translates as “the land of the rising sun.” The eloquence and grace with which the Japanese language depicts its homeland is embedded in all aspects of the culture-especially its language. Even the name of the country invokes images of an elegant nature scene. The Japanese language is known around the world for its beautiful poetry and enchanting stories.
