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honeytae · 3 years

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if you’re open for regular requests i’d love to request lil scenarios of the boys learning english alongside their english-speaking s/o! this is totally self-indulgent i’m doing the TEFL program and i’m going to south korea next year to teach :)

first of all, that’s amazing omg!! congratulations my love, i hope you have the best time over there and please don’t be shy in sharing your stories with us!!! i tried to stick to the boys actually learning english with their s/o but i strayed from that with a few members just bc i ran out of ideas lol but i hope you still enjoy!

fair warning....i’ve never ~seriously~ tried to learn korean, so i’m not entirely certain of the parallels between korean and english. i just hope these are wholesome enough to override that lmao

namjoon:

“You know,” Namjoon looked up from his phone, “I understand expanding your vocabulary, but why are there so many weird slang words?”

“Kids these days?” You shrugged, the man chuckling in response before flipping his phone around to show you what had puzzled him.

“If something slaps, that’s...good?” He wondered, watching as you suppressed a smile at the tweet he was showing you.

You could tell by the profile picture that the user was an ARMY, one of the many fan profiles on the platform, and the tweet was written completely in English.

Although there was a ‘Translate to Korean’ option readily available with just a tap of his thumb, you knew Namjoon never missed an opportunity to challenge himself to be able to fully comprehend what a native English speaker was trying to say.

You nearly snorted at the tweet’s content, smiling as you read it out loud.

“The Dis-ease bridge just saved my life. Seriously, this song slaps.”

Glancing at Namjoon, he raised his eyebrows, eagerly waiting for you to translate and explain what that could equate to in Korean.

“It’s definitely a good thing, Joon. They love it.”

At your interpretation, Namjoon grinned, nodding to himself as he pulled his phone back in front of his face to scroll through more reaction tweets to the new album release.

seokjin:

“What the hell is that?”

You picked your head up from your sketchbook when you heard Seokjin whine from beside you, eyebrows knitting together at his distressed tone. Taking a glance over at his laptop screen, you found his mouse bouncing from letter to letter on one of his weekly english lessons.

“What is that, like 15 letters? How do you even use that in a sentence?” He went on, obviously flustered by the word on the screen.

Pulchritudinous.

You placed your hand over his to stop his panicked counting of the letters, causing him to look over at you with a sigh as he frowned.

You nearly giggled at his reaction, but the genuine fear in his eyes made you stifle it as you soothingly held his hands in yours.

“It’s just an over complicated way of saying beautiful. I don’t know why they’re teaching you that, nobody ever uses it.” You assured him, his eyes going down in size a bit at your words before he nodded.

Watching as a smirk tilted his lips, you raised your brows at the sudden expression.

“What?”

“Well like, I could say I’m...that?” He said, eyebrows raised cockily as he gestured to the long word stretched across the screen.

“Well it’s actually not used like,” you paused, giving in with a shrug as you grinned back at him.

“Sure, love.”

yoongi:

“Why did I skip English class all the time?” Yoongi sighed, pinching his bottom lip between his fingers as he plucked at the skin in frustration.

“Because you were trying to be a rebel.” You answered without looking up from your phone, the man obviously not liking your answer as he reached over to where you were laying beside him to pinch at your hip.

Yelping, you scooted across the mattress to get away from his hand, whining his name with a scoff before looking over at his notepad.

“What are you doing, anyway?” You asked, leaning on your palm as you scanned the rows of scribbled English letters written on the page.

“I’m trying to get better at writing.” He admitted shyly, a small grin on his face to match the fond one on your own.

“Aw,” you pouted, Yoongi raising his eyebrows at your tone, “but I like your chicken scratch.”

“You’re such a brat.” He chuckled, adjusting the velcro on his brace with a grunt.

Since Yoongi’s shoulder surgery took away obvious straining activities like dancing and performing, he’d turned to studying English from the comfort of your bed during his recovery as one of the only safe activities he could partake in for a while.

It was now one of his favorite past times, learning new words and phrases he could potentially use in the future. It worked for you both because it took his mind off the pain and kept him motivated, and since you could speak both his and your language, you could help him out whenever he got stuck on something.

Usually he did lessons verbally on his phone, but it seemed today he had taken the old fashioned route.

“Your handwriting really isn’t bad, Yoongs.” You observed, the carefully placed tails at the end of each ‘a’ making you smile out of fondness for the man.

“My man has the prettiest handwriting.” You cooed, pushing a strand of his stark black hair out of his eyes as he blushed down at his notebook.

“Stop that.”

hoseok:

“Hey, babe?” Hoseok called for you, listening to your footsteps growing closer before you popped your head into the kitchen doorway.

“Yeah?”

“I’m having a little trouble.” He gestured to his open laptop on the counter, you recognizing it as an assignment from his English course.

“What happened?”

“Pronouns. Pronouns happened.” He pouted, his disdain for the new chapter quite obvious as he stared down his computer screen.

“What about them?” You asked, stepping closer to the man sitting at the kitchen island and placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“I need to make ten sentences using proper pronouns and I feel like I’m doing it all wrong.” He explained, causing you to hum as you looked over his sentences.

“These look great, Hobi.” You smiled as you glanced over the first three he’d written, flawlessly executed on the document.

“Can you help me with the next one?” He wondered, you nodding your head as you took a seat on the stool next to his.

“What do you want the next one to say?” You asked, watching as he glanced off to the side in thought, slightly squinting his eyes at the tile floor beneath the sink.

“My house is next to,” He spoke in English, pausing as he searched his brain for what pronoun to put next.

“Theys?” He answered as more of a question, then shaking his head as he switched back to Korean, “wait, no.” He sighed, placing his chin in his hand in thought before glancing over to you.

“I know it’s wrong, I just don’t know what the right answer is instead.” He explained, you shooting him a loving smile as you pushed the dark raven hair off his forehead and pressed a kiss to the newly revealed skin.

“I’ll help you, Sunshine. No worries.”

jimin:

Flopping onto the bed, you let your tired body fall on top of Jimin’s hoodie clad chest, his arm encircling your body as he mumbled a soft greeting to you.

“Hm, what are you learning about today?” You nuzzled into his chest, peering at his phone propped up on his thigh.

“Animals. Birds, mostly.” He answered, briefly turning from the screen to press a kiss to your head before focusing back on the row of English words matched with pictures of popular birds glowing from the device.

The first was a robin, the next a blue jay, and then a dove.

You listened as the virtual instructor prompted Jimin to repeat after her, spelling out the letters before stating the whole word. You smiled as your boyfriend followed instruction, pronouncing the words the best he could after the microphone chimed for him to do so.

“D-o-v-e. Dove.”

“Dove.” He repeated, smiling to himself as the app announced he got the point with a little heart.

“That’s cute.” He went back to his native language, you humming in confusion as you lifted your head up off his chest to look at him.

“The heart?” You asked, reaching up to twist a stray strand of hair out of his eye as he shook his head.

“Dove.” He said again, making you tilt your head, not knowing what he meant.

“It sounds like ‘love.’” He connected the two English words, you smiling fondly at him in response before scooting up the bed to kiss the tip of his button nose.

“You’re so cute.”

taehyung:

Three knocks at the door announced someone’s arrival to your bedroom, causing your head to lift from the novel you’d been so immersed in. Taehyung was home, but you’d wanted to give him space because you knew he needed to work on lyrics for his mixtape in order to submit them on time.

“Hey,” he poked his head in with a small smile, “can you help me with something?” He asked sheepishly, stepping further into the room when you nodded.

“Of course. What is it?” You set your book down, marking your place before closing it to pay full attention to your boyfriend.

“Well, I’m trying to write this verse in English and,” he trailed off with a shrug, “you know.” He finished, you nodding in response with a gesture for him to come sit next to you.

He eagerly walked over to you with his notebook in hand, lowering himself to the mattress before rolling his way over to where you were leaning against the headboard.

Honestly, Taehyung’s English wasn’t bad at all. He was insecure about it, but you’d never really understood what the reason for that feeling was. His vocabulary was more than decent, his comprehension was good, and his pronunciation was great for having such a thick accent.

But there were many times where Taehyung came to you for guidance, as you were a native English speaker yourself.

And so, as he rested his head on your shoulder confiding in you about everything he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it, you patiently took him through what would work and rhyme best, smiling as he hummed the melody to himself to see if the phrases would work in his creation.

jungkook:

“Baby, can you read it to me again before we go on? Just one more time.”

You glanced over at your boyfriend in his makeup chair, several employees bustling around the man as they attempted to get him ready to go on stage while they had him seated.

With his arm extended backward to where you stood behind his leather chair, he offered his phone to you while shooting you a grin through the reflection in the mirror.

Taking the device from his hand, you opened it to the notes app where he’d written what he wanted to say in his statement on stage in just a few minutes.

You were in London tonight, which meant that all of the boys had been rehearsing their English so that they could communicate easier with their audience.

Jungkook, ever the over-achiever, was determined to do the toughest English tongue twister he could possibly find. Not only that, but in a British accent for his British ARMY’s.

“Betty bought a bit of better butter to make her bitter butter better.” You read from the phone, barely able to read the sentence yourself before you glanced up at Jungkook through the mirror again.

You watched your boyfriend nod as his brain took in the words you’d just said, taking a deep inhale before he began speaking the phrase back to you.

You gawked as the man effortlessly repeated after you, a few of the makeup artists stopping as well as Jungkook raised his eyebrows back at you.

“Was that okay?”

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grs-the-neighborhood · 5 years

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Name: Verdona Levin

Age: 17

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Bisexual

Birthday (Zodiac): January 16; Capricorn

Species: 50% Human, 25% Osmosian, 25% Anodite

Ethnicity: White / Alien?

Native Language(s): English

Nationality: American

Appearance Info

Height: 5'9"

Skin tone: Light

Eye shape/color: Round; Green

Hair style/color: Long Wavy; Black

Outfit style: Oversized Sweaters and Jeans

Accessories: Charms

Markings (birthmarks, scars, etc): N/A

Alignment Info

Hero/Villian/Civilian: Hero

Rank: Vanguard League (Supernatural Department)

Powers/Abilities:

Natural Powers (By Mother)

-Mana Manipulation

-Mana Absorption

-Mana Detection

-Memory Manipulation

-Clairvoyance

-Teleportation

-Portal Creation

-Telepathy

-Telekinesis

Anodite Powers (By Mother)

-Anodite transformation

-Astral Projection

-Magic

-Flight

-Size Alteration

Matter Absorption (By Father)

Fighting Style:

-Taekwondo (Taught by Mother)

- Jujutsu (Yaught by Mother)

Weapons:

-Spell Book

Personality:

Verdona is very nonchalant, she tends to be very relax and reserve with people. She's kind and can be motherly to some of the other members, making sure they're fine if not then she would offer her healing. She enjoys music, it's something that puts her in a good mood. She's not nesessarily quiet but she's also not very talkative. She's the type that needs to be spoken too, however she has her moments when she gives a remark. She can be somewhat sarcastic but it's something that makes other laugh. She's very helpful and is a good ear, listening to other people's problems and helping them out.

Backstory:

Born in Bellwood her parents had always given her a nice life. Making sure to not let their jobs or plumbing take up too much of their time. She was raised to be skilled in fighting, so when she's older she can help people like they did. Kevin, her father, had taught her how to use her osmosian powers in ways of defense and even offense. He gave her an insight to the good places to brokers. Her mother however taught her the ways of magic and being Anodite, even gave her lessons in some martial arts.

Having these skills made Verdona a nice assest to a team, so she had asked about maybe joining the Vanguard League. Her mother was glad she would be wanting to join heroes, her father didn't seem to care. He was a villain and a hero, very hard to pick a side. But he was happy that she's doing something she wants. She teleported to Townsville and had search but managed to find the Vanguard League, where she met Damian. Son to Danny Fenton and Valerie. She had grown a crush on him. However she kept it professional and asked to join. After showing all of what she had the League had seen her as a valuable member for the team and she was accepted.

She was excited and even transferred to the local school. Of course she teleports to the school and League whenever needed, she just needed a reason to be somewhere new. Plus she got to see Damian more. She was growing a liking to him and even wondered if she had a chance with him.

Relatives:

- Gwendolyn Tennyson Levin (Mother)

- Kevin Ethan Levin (Father)

- Ken Tennyson (Uncle)

- Ben Tennyson (First Cousin Once Removed)

- Max Tennyson (Great Grandfather)

- Verdona (Great Grandmother)

- Frank Tennyson (Maternal Grandfather)

- Natalie Tennyson (Maternal Grandmother)

- Mrs. Levin (Paternal Grandmother)

- Zed (Pet)

Relationships:

Her parents and her get along well. Gwen and Kevin have their moments when they argue about the way one another trained Verdona but in the end they have seen that she's grown to be a wonderful daughter and fighter. She gets along well with her father being daddy's little girl, however she also gets along well with her mother. They are supportive and helpful with Verdona's future.

Damian is the leader of the Supernatural Department she's in. She had grown a liking to him after their first encounter. Something about his scaredy-cat personailty made her smile. She just wanted to be there to help and protect him. In fact in battle she tends to be very protective of him and the team. She stays by his side and listens to his commands, and sometimes at school she can't help but ogle him from her locker.

As for Envie, the two seem to get along well. However they have their moments when they engage in a sarcasm battle that some people in the team wonder if they're fighting or just casually having fun. It's usually the latter.

Vivian is someone Verdona has a hard time getting along with. Mainly due to her being unable to withstand Vivi's obnoxious and loud personality. Verdona tries to avoid her as best as she can but being in the same team it tends to get difficult.

Small Stories w/ Characters:

DAMIAN

As she saw Damian walk by she nervously waved a hand at him, hoping to get his attention without scaring him. He stopped in his track and looked up at her.

"Hey Damian, I don't mean to hold you up long, but... I was just hoping if you'd like to read this in your free time." She smiled and cautiously handed a small black journal to him, his hands took it curiously and opened it, skimming through it's content.

"What is it?" He asks, but quickly realizes that it appears to be a journal filled with poems.

"Just some poetry, I heard that you liked poetry so I wanted to show you some of my stuff. Maaaybe you can let me know if they're any good? I want to go to a poetry slam but I'm just too afraid that my work is ... well childs work."

Damian smiles and gladly takes the book, he looks up at her eyes, "Thanks, I'll give it a read and let you know what I think about them tomorrow." With that he walked off, leaving Verdona to respond to his dissappearing body.

"Awesome! Thank you-" she pauses, "Wait tomorrow morning?!" He was gone and she was nervous, was he planning on reading them all in one night? She creates a portal sending herself home, hoping for tomorrow to come sooner.

Next Morning

She walks around a room in the league where she ran into Damian the day before. She impatiently fiddled with her scarf before seeing him phase through a wall into the room.

"Ah there you are," Damian spoke softly and she responded in the same manner.

"So? What'd ya think?"

He thought for a second and reassured her with a smile, "It's good. I think these would be perfect for a poetry slam."

She blushed, taking her journal back she hugged it in her crossed arms and smiled at him, "You think so?... Hey maybe if you aren't busy, you'd like to join me friday for the slam?"

He smiled, "Sure, Just text me the details and I will meet you there." She nodded, and with that he left again. She excitedly texted the details right away and walked out of the room her book still in her arms as she internally squealed with joy.

VIVIAN

It had been a while and Vivi hadn't stopped talking, she was talking to another member in the group and they didn't seem to mind her constant blabbering. However Verdona was starting to get a bit irritated, and with the potty mouth Vivi has Verdona found herself finally speaking up.

"I know this space is free for members to socialize and relax but do you think you could maybe tone down the profanity?" She dodn't want to come off as a goodie goodie but she just wasn't a fan of profanity, mainly due to her high intelligence she found slang to sometimes be unnessecary.

"Oh shit sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt yer quiet time," she reponded, only to turn back and continue her conversation. Her profanity had lessen but that only lasted less than a minute before she continued to do it again. Not on purpose, just out of habit.

Verdona groaned, she just wanted to be in this room and enjoy some poetry reading with Damian, but he was running late and she was running out of patience.

"We have a language filled with so many words that can replace that vulgar slang street talk of yours," she said slamming her book shut.

"Why are ya bitching so much? I have the right to use any words I want, freedom of speech look it up."

Her hands became fists and she stood up from her seat,"For your information I am fully aware of the Amendments-"

"Well are you fully aware you got a stick up your ass that needs to be taken out?"

Without another word Verdona gave up and grabbed her book and walked out, Damian had just walked in but quickly followed after her.

Vivi sat there, a bit confused,"What's her problem?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Welp that's it for my entry oof took forever

But I'm glad with the outcome, I love both of my new children and if neither wins I wont even be mad, I just love them too much xD

Sorry if any character is OOC, if I need to change things just let me know!

Bio Template (C) MintQuetzal

Vivian (C) ppgzmlpfimlover

Verse, Opal, Damian, Vivian, Serena, Kandi (C) PrincessCallyie

Art, Junji, and Verdona (C) @japanda-draws

Any other character belongs to their rightful show and creator

She will be in @ej-cappy-universe 's GRS series: The Neighbors.

#character list #the neighborhood #the neighbors #synonymous

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rachello344 · 7 years

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Based on this post--click me!--I wrote a quick one shot from J.J.’s POV, featuring multi-lingual J.J. and friends (who are kind of jerks to him, honestly). I love the headcanons in this a lot, so I wrote this all out as soon as I figured out where I wanted it to go. Could be read as pre-slash for Pliroy, but doesn’t have to be. Enjoy!!

J.J. watched the table for a long moment, unnoticed. Everyone was rowdy, chatting in loud English, raising their voices to be heard across the table. J.J. took a long steadying breath. In, then out. Putting on an easy grin, he strode into their line of sight, taking his usual seat beside Leo.

From the moment they saw him, they switched seamlessly to speaking in their native tongues, sacrificing conversation for the sake of messing with him.

Leo smiled. “They still haven’t figured it out,” he said, Spanish rolling smoothly off his tongue. “Have you decided on how you want to tell them?”

J.J. shook his head, signaling for the waitress with a smile. Without looking at Leo, he signed under the table, Not yet. Leo chuckled under his breath.

J.J. ordered, making sure to keep everything light and friendly for the waitress, despite her obvious confusion at the languages now spoken at the table. He leaned in and said, “They like to speak in other languages so they can talk about me behind my back.” When she looked concerned, he waved her closer, “They don’t realize, but I speak more languages than English. I know what half the table is saying.”

She laughed, shaking her head. “They shouldn’t tease you like that, but at least you have that.” She winked. “I’ll be right back with your order, hon.”

He thanked her with a little wave, skimming his eyes lazily over the gathered party. Yuri, Mila, Georgi, and Victor were all speaking Russian—mostly to one another, but Victor and Yuri were both also speaking to the other Yuri and Otabek respectively. Otabek was responding in Russian, but the other Yuri was sticking to Japanese.

Chris interrupted Victor to make a comment in French. Phichit chimed in, but was drowned out by a rising argument between the Crispino twins.

J.J.’s knowledge of Italian was largely based on what he knew of Spanish, but they seemed to be arguing about him, oddly enough. He watched them for a long moment, trying to parse out what they were saying. He leaned closer to Leo.

“Am I hearing things, or does Sala think I’m hot?”

“You’re a rock star, and her brother hates when she talks about boys,” Leo reminded him in Spanish. “Of course she’s saying you’re hot.”

J.J. preened, laughing when Leo shoved his shoulder.

Victor, the other Yuri, and Chris all seemed to be talking about other things—an upcoming date, from what he could hear of Victor and Chris. Mila and Georgi were talking about whoever Georgi was texting. A new girlfriend?

“You only met her yesterday. You can text her about something you have in common, but outside of that, you need to play it cool. Talk to her, but don’t ask her out until tomorrow at the earliest,” Mila told him. “Do I need to take your phone away, or can I trust you not to blow this?”

Georgi clutched the phone to his chest. “You can trust me.”

“Listen, Beka, the Canadiens are probably the worst team in the league,” J.J. heard Yuri say. His blood ran like ice water. “They would never be able to defeat the—”

J.J. slammed his hands on the table, standing up. “You take that back!” J.J. snarled in Russian.

The table fell silent. He could feel everyone’s eyes on him, but he didn’t care. He kept his eyes on Yuri as his eyes grew steadily wider.

Victor finally broke the silence. “You speak Russian?”

“Studied it in college,” J.J. said, still glaring.

“Any other surprises for us?” Chris asked.

J.J. felt his lips curve up into what might normally have been a smile, were he not still furious at the slander against his home team. “I speak French fluently; I’m conversational in Spanish; and I know both Spanish and Russian.”

Most of the table paled.

Leo finally cracked and doubled over, laughing. J.J. holy shit! Leo signed. Warn a guy!

Sorry, he replied, finally breaking eye contact with Yuri. He insulted my hockey team.

Leo snorted. That explains it.

“He knows sign language, too?” Yuri asked, groaning. He pushed a hand through his pretty blonde hair.

“How else would I communicate with deaf fans?” he asked, glancing back up. “I’m still waiting for my apology, by the way. I’ve never insulted your hockey team, so don’t insult mine.”

Otabek nudged Yuri’s shoulder. Yuri shot him a dark look and crossed his arms. “Fine, fine. I’m sorry. I guess.”

J.J. smiled easy again. “There now, was that so hard?”

“Like diamond,” Yuri muttered under his breath.

“I guess all your secrets are out,” Leo said, bumping their shoulders together.

He nodded his agreement. “For now, anyway. Maybe I’ll learn Japanese next.”

The other Yuri laughed, but he looked happy about it. J.J. added it to his Maybe list, next to German. It could be nice, being able to communicate with the other Yuri in his native tongue. He seemed like he’d appreciate it, too, rather than scowl at him.

J.J. shot the Russian Yuri a wink, grinning when his expression went stormy and embarrassed at once. “My cute kitten,” J.J. cooed in French. Yuri’s shoulders shot up as the thunder cleared from his expression, leaving nothing but red-faced surprise.

Victor and Chris laughed, the former leaning down to explain what he said to the other Yuri. It seemed he wasn’t the only one hiding language proficiency. That could be a lot of fun. Judging by the dawning realization and slow horror, Yuri had come to a… similar conclusion.

He rested his chin on his palm and smiled his flirtiest smile. Yuri looked away.

#yuri on ice #my fic #pre slash pliroy #if you guys wanna know my reasoning on any of these hmu #I'm always happy to talk about JJ #;D

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kyotocollection · 7 years

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Japanese Cat Names

Japanese cat names are an interesting window onto the culture. Are you looking for a Japanese name for your kitten? Or maybe you've seen a famous cat or two in manga or anime and are curious about what sort of names Japanese people choose for their feline friends. Whatever the basis for your curiosity, I'll do my best to share what I've learned as an animal lover living in Japan since 1997. I've enlisted the help of Japanese friends in this pursuit, to be sure that my understanding squares with theirs, and ended up learning as well as confirming a lot in the process!

Let's look at some names for male and female cats. More than just giving a name with a translation, I want to pass along some related information that will give you a better idea of naming conventions in Japan so that if you're looking for a name, you'll have more confidence in going with your inspiration and choosing something whether it's on a list or not.

I also want to introduce you to katakana, the relatively simple Japanese syllabary that's most often used to write pet names. And I'll mention a point that's often overlooked, natural intonation so that when you call to your cat, it sounds pretty much the same as it would if the owner were a native speaker. We'll also take a look at an important aspect of names in general in Japan, suffixes that add warmth and familiarity when used.

Foreign Pet Names-It Goes Both Ways

So let's dive in. First off, it's worth noting that In Japan, pet owners sometimes choose a western name over a Japanese one for the same reason you might be considering something Japanese-it's a novel way to express your interest in a culture outside your own and to be a bit different.

And when Japanese people choose a western name for a pet, it's often a person's name. A Japanese friend once had a dog named John, for example. I never asked her why she it, but I'd bet she liked an actor or singer by that name. The most famous Japanese cat with a western name is probably Michael of 'What's Michael?' fame. The manga was such a hit that it spawned a long running animated TV series in the 80's.

Japanese people sometimes choose the names of Japanese celebrities for their pets as well. So if there's a Japanese actor or musician you like, you might consider using a version of their name. Ichiro isn't likely to be offended if you're a baseball fan and name your cat after him!

Speaking of stars, Leo the Lion isn't just a constellation, he's also one one reason why there are so many cats in Japan with the name, pronounced 'Lay-Oh.'

In similar fashion, the Japanese word for tiger, Tora, works quite well as a name because it's short and it's no stretch to imagine most cats as mini tigers, especially if they have stripes. Most cat names in Japan seem to be two syllables, with some three-syllable monikers in the mix. Keeping it short and sweet is a good angle to approach things from, it seems.

Japanese Cat Names from Flowers and Plants

Flowers and plants are another source of inspiration. Japanese girls are often named after flowers and cats are, too. The Japanese word for flower is hana, and Hana is a very popular name for female cats.

You might well already know some Japanese plant names like Sakura(cherry) and Ume(plum). Momo(peach) and Sakura are also among the most popular female cat names in Japan. But don't stop there-other flowers such as Kiku(chrysanthemum) are also prime candidates! Mums have a rich, regal history in Japan and are associated with the Imperial family.

I thought up some names of fruits in Japanese and ran them by some Japanese friends, wondering if they would work as cat names. These are the ones that passed muster as cute, easy to say possibilities for female cats-Ichigo(strawberry), Suika(watermelon), Anzu(apricot), and Mikan(mandarin orange.)

Think of various aspects of these names and others. If for example, you got your cat in summer or she was born then or just strikes you as having a summery personality, referring to her as the Japanese word for watermelon might hit just the right note.

Another fruit name that got the thumb's up from Japanese friends was Ringo(apple), but I nixed it because though it's indeed catchy, you might be mistaken for a die-hard Beatles fan with that one, and could soon get fed up with explaining the real meaning behind the choice!

Use Your Cat's Appearance as Inspiration

Another fertile filed to plow when it comes to names is your cat's coloring. In Japan, the words for black(kuro) and white(shiro) are both standard choices for cats and dogs of both sexes.

If you happen to have a calico cat, you might consider the name Mi-ke. I added the hyphen to try and differentiate it from the common western name Mike, as it's pronounced Mee-kay. It literally means 'three-hair' and refers to the three colors of fur that calicoes sport. Japanese calicoes are usually predominantly white along with two other colors, and are a very popular breed in Japan and abroad. Many Japanese cat owners in fact name their calico Mi-ke, just as countless western dog lovers over the decades have named their pooches Spot.

Is your cat small? Then maybe something like 'Mame(pronounced (Mah-may) would be just right. Mame means bean in Japanese, and has a cute, diminutive sound to it. You might know this word already, as it's part of the word for soy beans, edamame(literally, branch bean). In a similar way, the name Mikan mentioned above has an endearing connotation, as it brings to mind something small and round.

Speaking of beans, the most popular female cat name in Japan taken from something edible might be 'Azuki.' Azuki is a type of bean that's often used in Japanese cuisine, especially in making traditional sweets. The notion of eating beans in sweets seems odd to many westerners, but take my word for it, bean based sweets are delicious and you shouldn't come to Japan without trying some!

So naming your female cat Azuki, pronounced 'Ah-zu-key, would be a great choice if you're looking for a name that is 'authentic' in the sense that Japanese cat owners favor it. And as with Mame, being a type of bean it carries with it the same cute, petite connotation. Since azuki beans are reddish brown, this name would work especially well if your cat has similar coloring. Do a net search for 'azuki' and you'll find photos of this culinary staple.

Traditional Seafood and Sweet Names Add a Wealth of Possibilities

All this talk about food is getting me hungry, so let's brainstorm with some words from Japanese cuisine that might strike your fancy.

Wasabi anyone? How about Matcha(green tea)? Or Toro(fatty tuna, a delicacy)? Then there's Wakame(a variety of seaweed), Ikura(salmon eggs), Saba(mackerel), Awabi(abalone), and the list goes on. In a similar way, many Japanese dog and cat owners choose names like 'Latte' and Mocha' these days. I think that names taken from seafood cuisine can be especially good fits with cat names, since they seem to enjoy such delicacies at least as much as we do!

I have a sweet tooth, so I'm partial to Mochi(pounded rice cake) sweets of all kinds. I also have a weakness for Dango(usually 3-4 small balls of mochi pounded rice on a stick). We could go on and on brainstorming with foods, and I encourage you to have some fun with this. But with foods and with this process in general, take care not to get too esoteric, because you might well come to regret choosing a name that only you and a friend or two can remember and understand.

Japanese culture is finely tuned to the seasons and the natural world, and the cuisine reflects that. You'll see ample evidence of this focus on nature in names like Sora, the word for sky. It's a staple on recent ranking lists for popular Japanese cat names and can be used for both males and females. Note that the 'r' in sora is pronounced a bit differently than in English.

Famous Japanese Cats

I've already mentioned a famous cat, Michael, though he only exists in the world of comics and animation. Ask about the most famous Japanese cat who's ever lived, and the name Tama is bound to come up. Perhaps because she gained fame so recently. In any case, she was certainly a phenomenon!

Tama was a female calico who died in 2015 after going viral as the station master at Kishi Station in western Japan. She gained an international following and was responsible for a huge surge in tourism to the area. The name Tama is a cat name with a long history in Japan, much as the name Socks is thought of as a traditional cat name in some English speaking countries. As a name it doesn't carry any special meaning, its popularity is mainly due to the way it sounds-short, easy to say and somehow endearing.

Sometimes a good name can boil down simply that. And having such a common name certainly never held Tama back! If anything, it made her even more memorable. Of course the little station master's cap she wore at a jaunty angle also made her hard to forget!

If you happen to be a fan of the perennially popular manga Sazae-san about a family and their foibles that was first published in the 40's, you'll also know that the family's male cat was called Tama.

And Tama was also the name chosen by the company that produces a series of cat themed furoshiki Japanese fabric cloths that I feature in my shop, as well. This particular Tama is quite active with an eye for scenic spots, including the charming traditional buildings accented by cherry blossoms in full bloom on the furoshiki cloth below:

Other Key Cultural Notes

Now let's move to some general points about Japanese cat names. First, intonation for names is basically flat. So all syllables get similar stress. It's common for native English speakers to pronounce the names of Japanese people as well as pets as they would in English, which often results in unnatural pronunciation. This often happens with three syllable words, as the middle syllable often gets stressed when it shouldn't get such special attention. I have a Japanese friend named Yumiko who lives in the states, for example, who is often called 'Yu-MI-ko with the middle part stressed. Similarly, Yukiko is known as 'Yu-KI-ko.'

This tendency doesn't manifest much in two syllable words, and since most common pet names are short, like Tama, they end up being pronounced pretty much as they should be, with equal stress given to both syllables. But others, like Azuki that we looked at above, can become 'Ah-ZU-ki' if you're not aware of this aspect of Japanese language.

Then there's the custom of adding suffixes to names. This is a key point to keep in mind, as it might steer you toward choosing one cat name over another, depending on how the name sounds in this form.

If you're an anime or manga fan, you're probably already well aware of the propensity to add 'chan' and 'kun' to the end of names. Kun is basically used for boys and men, and like chan, conveys a familiarity and warmth. Chan can be used for young boys as well as for girls and women. Adults can use these honorific suffixes with friends to show affection, though it's rude to use these suffixes to address a superior. The first three letters of 'chan' are pronounced as in the name of the Cuban dance known as the Cha-Cha.

When we consider pet names, chan is the one to focus on, because it covers both sexes when it comes to animals. And since pets are more often than not seen as cute and endearing, it's very natural to add chan to the end of their names. So, Sora becomes Sora-chan. Tama is Tama-chan. Presto! What was a cute name to start with gets even more so.

Some names lend themselves better to the 'chan' treatment, in terms of how easily it all rolls off your tongue. Take for instance the sweets mochi and dango I mentioned above as possibilities. 'Mochi-chan' is a bit harder to say than 'dango-chan' so based strictly on that, the latter would win out.

One thing to keep in mind with this-chan is usually something you use to refer to someone else's child or pet, not your own. It's not rude or inappropriate to use it for your own pet, but it's most often a way for others to express a sense of affection and closeness for someone outside their own immediate family. So if you choose a Japanese name for your cat, informing those around you of this 'chan' add-on will pay dividends!

Finally, I'd like to make a list of all the names we've covered here, includes my brainstorms and some cat names that are among the most popular in Japan. When there's a meaning, I'll include that, and I'll also add the name as it's written in the katakana alphabet. Often there is a kanji character for a name, but even then, the katakana is preferred when its used as a pet's name. I've included the kanji characters mainly to illustrate just how simple the katakana is by comparison!

So if you have an interest in what a name looks like when written, don't make it unnecessarily hard by considering kanji characters. Katakana characters are not only simple in their minimal number of angular strokes, but they're also preferred according to convention in this context. Knowing a bit more about Japanese cat names, including not only their meanings but how they're used can be a great way to delve more deeply into the culture in general. If you have any questions related to this topic, please leave a comment!

Name Katakana/Kanji sex meaning/reference Ichiro イチロー M Baseball player Tora トラ　虎 M/F tiger Hana ハナ　花 F flower Sakura サクラ　桜 F cherry, cherry blossom Ume ウメ　梅 F plum, plum blossom Momo モモ　　　桃F peach, peach blossom Ichigoイチゴ　苺F strawberrySuikaスイカ　西瓜F watermelonAnzuアンズ　F apricotMikan ミカン　F mandarin orange Kuro クロ　黒M/F blackShiroシロ　白M/F whiteMi-keミケ　三毛M/F calicoMameマメ　豆M/F beanWasabiワサビ　M/F Japanese horseradish Matchaマッチャ　抹茶M/F Japanese green tea ToroトロM/F high grade cut of tuna IkuraイクラM/Fsalmon eggs Sabaサバ　　鯖M/FmackerelWakameワカメ　若布M/F seaweedAwabiアワビ　 M/F abaloneMochiモチ　餅M/F pounded rice cakes Dangoダンゴ　団子M/F skewered pounded rice cakes Soraソラ　空M/F skyTamaタマM/F ------ Kikuキク　菊F chrysanthemum

from Kyoto Collection: Latest News http://kyotocollection.com/blog/japanese-cat-names/

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