Japanese Plurals

[OriginalRen]

This is a public service announcement to everyone that decides to use Japanese words in their vocabulary when speaking English. There are no plurals in Japanese that use an "s" as an ending, so let's use the words correctly! Here are some examples:

• Say manga for both singular and plural forms, not mangas.
• Say otaku, not otakus.
• Say anime, not animes.

The same is true for any similar word used in this fashion. That's all.

[sanahtlig]

The correct spelling is アニメ, and it's pronounced ah-nee-mey.

Edited November 26, 2015 by sanahtlig

[OriginalRen]

The correct spelling is アニメ, and it's pronounced ah-nee-mey.

Well, that's getting into correct phonetic usage when using foreign words in your native language. Since I speak French and Italian, I always try to say a word how it would sound in the actual language, even when speaking English.

[Chuee]

The correct spelling is アニメ, and it's pronounced ah-nee-mey.

It's more about whether Japanese loanwords should be pluralized or not since they have no plural form. 

[Narcosis]

This is a public service announcement to everyone that decides to use Japanese words in their vocabulary when speaking English. There are no plurals in Japanese that use an "s" as an ending, so let's use the words correctly!

I refuse and will continue to use animays!

[Kelebek1]

They're English words now, not Japanese. They originated in Japan, but are in English dictionaries and used in English, just as the majority of our words are from foreign languages and not just middle/old English.

 

If you want to have a conversation about whether you think those words should be pluralised or not, then you can, but there isn't any set rule for doing it. Just because Japan doesn't use plurals for those, doesn't mean they can't in English, and doesn't mean we can't even completely fuck it up to make it the way we want either. There's tonnes of examples of that, and they're mostly words you don't even think are wrong because you don't know.

 

I'm already doubting much of a conversation about this anyway, because メ is not pronounced "mey." Japanese does not have diphthongs.

[Flutterz]

 I refuse and will continue to use animays!

It's actually animaymays

[Yuuko]

You are all bunch of bakas. I will keep using the words how I want and be the kawaiiest of all.

[minuore]

Derive from animation, I believe? 

 here

[Abyssal Monkey]

The correct spelling is アニメ, and it's pronounced ah-nee-mey.

It's an English loanword shortened in Japanese and then readopted back into English.  There is zero reason to follow Japanese pronunciation conventions on this one.

Then again, I always pluralize things wrong to annoy people, and my mom likes to say warsh instead of wash.

Kelebek brings a fun point in too:

I'm already doubting much of a conversation about this anyway, because メ is not pronounced "mey." Japanese does not have diphthongs.

If we wanted to pronounce things japanese style, it would be "ah-neh-meh", so by combining the two I can then complain to my elder sister and explain anime in one short, yet concise word sentence.

"Ahhh, Nee. Meh!"

[Narcosis]

"Ahhh, Nee. Meh!"

Is this the fabled weeban language?

[WinterfuryZX]

It's extremely easy for me, "anime" is pronounced exactly like the prural of "anima" (soul) ( /à·ni·me/ )

Anyway, it originally comes from the latin word animatiōnem

Edited November 26, 2015 by WinterfuryZX

[Darbury]

Does Japanese properly pluralize English loanwords?

If so, then I'll happily return the favor. If not, go pound sand.

[firecat]

OBJECTION, there will always be a "S" to mark it has "more than one". every country uses it, japan uses it too just listen to this:

 

scissor->s<- and another one is:

Sakamoto, our cat. He talk->s<-.

so your theory on never using S as plural is wrong.

[WinterfuryZX]

they are using english sentences, not loan words.

Edit: no wait, the first video is 100% japanese... and also the second LOL...

Edited November 26, 2015 by WinterfuryZX

[Darbury]

 

Sakamoto, our cat. He talk->s<-.

so your theory on never using S as plural is wrong.

Not only are those videos entirely in Japanese, as Winterfury noted, but your second example isn't even a plural; it's the third-person singular conjugation of the verb "talk."

[Zakamutt]

I used to get a bit more annoyed about this, but these days I just go for "correct" usage and perform .1 tooth grindings whenever I see them plurali-s'd.

I did not expect you of all people to post this though, Run. You trying to troll? www

I'm also reminded of a scene in I/O where someone remarks that if a character had been speaking English, it would have been clearer what they meant because plurals.

[Funnerific]

I used to get a bit more annoyed about this, but these days I just go for "correct" usage and perform .1 tooth grindings whenever I see them plurali-s'd.

I did not expect you of all people to post this though, Run. You trying to troll? www

I'm also reminded of a scene in I/O where someone remarks that if a character had been speaking English, it would have been clearer what they meant because plurals.

Was it this? Though it's not about plurals.

[Fiddle]

Not enough flame wars.

But for real, I'm not familiar with any authority that has established such a rule. All German nouns are capitalized, yet "sauerkraut" and "schadenfreude" are acceptably lowercase in English. As is "sauerkrautschadenfreude," which is probably a word for them!

So if anyone says "ninjas" instead of "ninja," or "shoguns" instead of "shogun," or "tycoons" instead of "tycoon," then how about we don't report them to this guy.

[Ezioe]

How am I supposed to function now without all my sempais and bakas?

[sanahtlig]

I'm already doubting much of a conversation about this anyway, because メ is not pronounced "mey." Japanese does not have diphthongs.

I tried to approximate the syllables in recognizable fragments that people who haven't learned dictionary-speak would recognize.  If someone wants to really know how to pronounce Japanese words, then they'd best invest in several weeks of Japanese pronunciation coaching--preferably before they go any further in language training, as it's really hard to unlearn ingrained habits.

But as my Japanese teacher told me, English loanwords are no longer English.  They're Japanese.  If you don't use and pronounce them according to Japanese traditions, you're the one who's incorrect.  I assume the inverse is also true when applied to Japanese loanwords.  In other words, argument ad populum: whatever is most used is right.

[WinterfuryZX]

It depends on the language, there's a rule in Italian, every not italianized loan words must be always used as singular, Es. "Computer" must be always singular ("c'è un computer", "ci sono due computer").

Edited November 26, 2015 by WinterfuryZX

[Chuee]

Does Japanese properly pluralize English loanwords?

If so, then I'll happily return the favor. If not, go pound sand.

They do use tacos instead of just taco, though there's obvious reasons for that. 

Not enough flame wars.

But for real, I'm not familiar with any authority that has established such a rule. All German nouns are capitalized, yet "sauerkraut" and "schadenfreude" are acceptably lowercase in English. As is "sauerkrautschadenfreude," which is probably a word for them!

So if anyone says "ninjas" instead of "ninja," or "shoguns" instead of "shogun," or "tycoons" instead of "tycoon," then how about we don't report them to this guy.

Well it would make sense if all English words changed in plural form, but not all do. So the argument is that since they can still be grammatically correct by having the same singular and plural, we should leave them like that. German nouns aren't capitalized in English because English has specific rules for capitalization and leaving them like that wouldn't be grammatically correct in English. 

[Zakamutt]

I used to get a bit more annoyed about this, but these days I just go for "correct" usage and perform .1 tooth grindings whenever I see them plurali-s'd.

I did not expect you of all people to post this though, Run. You trying to troll? www

I'm also reminded of a scene in I/O where someone remarks that if a character had been speaking English, it would have been clearer what they meant because plurals.

Was it this? Though it's not about plurals.

It was indeed, and damn, look like I was wrong. *Considers hiring ninja to erase all traces of failure* *wonders what amount to use*

[OriginalRen]

Does Japanese properly pluralize English loanwords?

If so, then I'll happily return the favor. If not, go pound sand.

Well someone is angry. I guess you can be salty, sure.