Why is English hard for Japanese people?

The reason Japanese have difficulty with English is because of the limited range of vocalization used in the Japanese language. Most other foreigners speak English with accents carried over from their native tongue, but not as distinctly different as the Japanese. Here is the Japanese Kana (phonetic) syllabary.

Is Japanese based on English?

Gairaigo are Japanese words originating or based on foreign-language (generally Western) terms. However, most come from English, the dominant world language today. Due to the large number of western concepts imported into Japanese culture during modern times, there are thousands of these English borrowings.

Why do the Japanese like to adopt foreign words into their language?

Because of the difficulty in expressing English meanings and nuances within the limits of the Japanese vocabulary, many of these English words were used as they were and adopted in katakana form (a noncursive form of writing typically used to write loanwords).

Do most Japanese know English?

Yet despite this growth, studies estimate that less than 30 percent of Japanese speak English at any level at all. Less than 8 percent and possibly as little as 2 percent speak English fluently.

Why do Japanese say plus alpha?

Plus alpha / x: The Japanese use plus alpha every time they want to add something that is not certain or can happen along the way.

Why does Japanese use some English words?

Japanese has a long history of borrowing from foreign languages. Words are taken from English for concepts that do not exist in Japanese, but also for other reasons, such as a preference for English terms or fashionability – many gairaigo have Japanese near-synonyms.

When did Japanese acquire English loanwords?

Most of the gairaigo since the nineteenth century came from English. In the Meiji era (late 19th to early 20th century), Japan also had extensive contact with Germany, and gained many loanwords from German, particularly for Western medicine, which the Japanese learned from the Germans.