Hi, I'm a solo developer from Japan and I'm launching WaseiGo here on September 1st.
The app focuses on wasei-eigo, the 1,000+ Japanese words that look and sound like English but have different meanings. For example, an electrical outlet is a "consent". An all-you-can-eat buffet is a "viking". Cheating on a test is "cunning". These are completely normal Japanese words, and most Japanese speakers have no idea which ones are real English and which ones aren't. That's the gap the app covers. There are many pitfalls that travelers to Japan and Japanese language learners are bound to encounter.
The rabbit hole is deeper than it looks. Some words changed meaning on the way into Japanese. Others were cut in half, so "convenience store" became "konbini". Some words were assembled in Japan from English parts and never existed in English at all, such as "baby car" for a stroller. Each word in the app comes with a short illustrated dialogue, audio, a quiz, and the backstory of how the word came to be.
So here's my question. If you've studied Japanese or lived in Japan, which katakana word confused you the most? If you're Japanese, which word shocked you the most when you learned that it doesn't work abroad?
WaseiGo
Hi Product Hunt!
Japanese has over 1,000 words that look and sound like English but mean something else here. コンセント (consent) is a power outlet. カンニング (cunning) means cheating on a test. These words trip up learners of Japanese, and they trip up Japanese people speaking English just as badly.
WaseiGo teaches each one with a short illustrated dialogue, native audio, and a quiz that makes you guess before it tells you. The first 50 words are free, the rest is a one-time purchase. No subscription, no ads.
If a wasei-eigo word has ever tricked you, tell me which one. I read every comment.
WIT
@takelab Lovely idea! When I moved to the UK from Japan, I realised that I do not remember which words are wasei-eigo and which are actual eigo 'baby car' made so much more sense than 'stroller'.
WaseiGo
@maria_telegina Thank you Maria! Baby car honestly makes more sense than stroller. You described exactly the problem I built this for. After years of using these words, nobody remembers which ones are real eigo and which ones Japan invented. Hope WaseiGo helps you sort them out!
Creatium
WaseiGo
@maria_wall_ball Thank you! Japan's first all-you-can-eat-restaurant opened at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo in 1958. Smorgasbord was too hard to say in Japanese, and the movie The Vikings was a hit at the time, so the restaurant was named Imperial Viking. That one restaurant name became the everyday word for buffet.
Not every word, but many entries in the app carry origin stories like this as fun facts. If your boys get curious someday, that side might be what hooks them. Karate vocabulary is a great gateway!
Creatium
@takelab very cool, Takeshi!! I love this idea so much. By the way, my company Creatium Coach launched today as well. Would love to get your thoughts on what we're building as well.
WaseiGo
Creatium
@takelab Perhaps when we launch our APIs... you can!! More on that soon (I hope) :)
WaseiGo
@hannahawitan Thank you! Although we refer to them as “Japanese-style English” in the description, as you can see from the fact that the title doesn’t include the word “English,” this app actually contains words derived from French, Portuguese, and German as well, so please be sure to check it out.
minimalist phone: reduce your screentime
Anything related to education always has my support! :)
WaseiGo
@busmark_w_nika
Thank you, Nika! Education apps are a labor of love, so your kind of support means a lot!