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Japanese Romanization LUT for Wasei-Eigo and Other loanwords

This page shows the preferred (and enforced) romanization of certain clipped loanwords or Japanese-made English words.
If you see used loanwords in titles that are missing and could be romanized differently, please contact us on Discord so we can standarize them!

## MangaBaka Slang & Clipped Loanword Reference Table

Use this table to determine the primary romanization for common clipped slang and portmanteaus.

| Expression | Primary Title (MangaBaka) | Alternative Title (Search) | Linguistic Origin | Meaning / Context |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| ギャル | **Gyaru**² | Gal | Assimilated English *gal* | Japanese “Gal” subculture |
| モブ | **Mobu**² | Mob | Assimilated English *mob*  | Background/Insignificant (Side/NPC) character |
| ヤンキー | **Yankii**² | Yankee | Assimilated English *yankee* | Delinquint |
| パッド | **Paddo**² | Pad | Assimilated English *pad* or *padding* | Usually specifically “Bra Padding” |
| スーパー | **Suupaa** / **Super** (context) | Super | Clipped *suupaamaaketto* or from English *Super*  | Supermarket or Super |
| アパート | **Apaato** | Apartment | Clipped *apaatomento* | Apartment |
| アプリ | **Apuri** | App / Appli | Clipped *apurikeeshon* | Application / App |
| アラサー | **Arasaa** | Around 30 | *Around* + *thirty* | Person around 30 years old |
| アラフォー | **Arafoo** | Around 40 | *Around* + *forty* | Person around 40 years old |
| アラフィフ | **Arafifu** | Around 50 | *Around* + *fifty* | Person around 50 years old |
| アラカン | **Arakan** | Around 60 | *Around* + *kanreki* | Person around 60 years old |
| バリキャリ | **Barikyari** | - | *Baribari* + *career* | Energetic career woman |
| リーマン | **Riiman** | Ryman | Clipped *Sarariiman* | Salary man |
| ドＳ / ドＭ | **Do-S / Do-M** | - | Prefix *do* (extreme) + S/M | Extreme Sadist / Masochist |
| ド\<noun\> | **Do-**\<noun\> | - | Prefix *do* (extreme) + Noun | Extreme x; *Do-hentai* -> Extreme Pervert |
| チャラ男 | **Charao** | - | *Charai* + *otoko* | Flashy/shallow playboy |
| セフレ | **Sefure** | Sex Friend | Clipped *sekkusu furendo* | Friends with benefits |
| スマホ | **Sumaho** | Smartphone | Clipped *sumaatofon* | Smartphone |
| \<noun\>サー | \<Noun\>**-saa** | X Circle | Clipped *\<Noun\> saakuru* | Common interest group/club |  
| \<noun\>ドル | \<Noun\>**doru**¹ | Xdol | Clipped *\<Noun\> aidoru* | 裏ドル (Uradoru) / 姫ドル (Himedoru) / だめどる (Damedoru) / etc. |
| グラドル | **Guradoru** | GraDol | Clipped *gurabia aidoru* | bikini model (usually teenage); pin-up girl |
| フェチ | **Fechi** | Fetish | Clipped *fetisshu* | A fetish / obsession |
| エステ | **Esute** | Esthetic | Clipped *esutetikku* | Beauty clinic / Esthetics |
| ハラ | **Hara** | Harassment | Clipped *harasumento* | Regular/Unspecified Harassment |
| セクハラ | **Sekuhara** | Sexual Harassment | Clipped *sekusharu harasumento* | Sexual Harassment |
| パワハラ | **Pawahara** | Power Harassment | Clipped *pawaa harasumento* | Workplace Harassement from a postion of power |
| マタハラ | **Matahara** | Maternity Harassment | Clipped *matenitii harasumento* | Workplace Harassement against pregnant woman |
| クリ / クリちゃん | **Kuri / Kuri-chan** | - | Clipped *kuritorisu* | Clitoris (slang) |
| 元カレ / モトカレ | **Motokare**¹ | - | *Moto* + clipped *kareshi* | Ex-boyfriend |
| 元カノ / モトカノ | **Motokano**¹ | - | *Moto* + clipped *kanojo* | Ex-girlfriend |
| 推しカプ | **Oshikapu**¹ | Oshi Couple | Clipped *oshi kapuru* | OTP / Favorite Shipping (Pair) |
| スパダリ | **Supadari**¹ | Super Darling | Clipped *suupaa daarin* | The "perfect" husband/partner |
| ハニトラ | **Hanitora**¹ | Honey Trap | Clipped *hanii torappu* | Honey Trap |
| ラブハメ | **Rabu-hame** | Love Hame | *Love* + clipped *hameru* | Lovey-dovey sex |
| ラブホ | **Rabuho** | Love Hotel | Clipped *rabu hoteru* | Love Hotel |
| ラブコメ | **Rabukome** | Romcom / Love Comedy | clipped from Japanese-made English *rabu komedi* |
| イチャラブ | **Icharabu** | Icha Love | Clipped *Ichaicha* +  *Raburabu* | Making out being all Lovey-dovey |
| ゲーセン | **Geesen** | Game Center | Clipped *geemu sentaa* | Arcade / Game center |
| キャラ | **Kyara** | Chara | Clipped *kyarakutaa* | Character / personality |
| 陰キャ / 陰キャラ | **Inkya** / **Inkyara** | InCha / InChara | *In* (shadow) + *kyara* | Gloomy/introverted person |
| 陽キャ / 陽キャラ | **Youkya**  / **Youkyara**| YouCha / YouChara | *You* (sun) + *kyara* | Cheerful/extroverted person |
| ネタキャラ | **Netakyara** | NetaChara | *Neta* (not a loanword) + *kyara* | Joke/meme character |
| リア充 | **Riajuu** | - | *Real* + *juujitsu* | Someone with a fulfilling life / Normie |
| バイト | **Baito** | - | Clipped from *arubaito* (German) | Part-time job |
| ネトゲ / ネトゲー | **Netoge** | - | Clipped *netto geemu* | Online/Network game |
| エロゲ / エロゲー | **Eroge** | - | Clipped *ero geemu* | Adult/Erotic game |
| サバゲ / サバゲ | **Sabage** | - | Clipped *sabaibaru geemu* | Survival game |
| 乙女ゲ / 乙女ゲー | **Otomege**¹ | - | Clipped *otome geemu* | Female audience targeted dating sim |
| 無理ゲ / 無理ゲー | **Murige**¹ | - | Clipped *muri geemu* | Impossible Game |

> [!NOTE]
> 1. These are fixed lexicalized compound words or fandom labels. They are not separated, as they do not function as free-standing nouns syntactically modifying another noun.
> 2. These words have undergone semantic narrowing or specialization in Japanese and are not fully equivalent to their English counterparts. Therefore they are romanized directly from the Japanese kana form.

> [!IMPORTANT]
> The alternative romanizations listed are to be used in alternative titles for title search optimization. These are established romanizations used by other metadata platforms (such as MyAnimeList or AniList).
> By adding these as alternatives, users will achieve better search matches even when using more “traditional” or phonetic romanization styles.

> [!TIP]
> - Gyaru is not equivalent to the American Gal anymore as its meaning has significally shifted to represent a specific Japanese subculture, so to preserve the Japanese meaning it is romanized as “Gyaru”.
> - Mobu has its meaning in Japanese shifted to be specific or nuanced as background or insignificant (side) character. While English mob its meaning is a “crowd” or “unruly group of people” or an “enemy monster/npc” in gaming terms.

## MangaBaka Slang & Clipped Loanword Reference TableTranslated To English Equivalents

| Expression | Primary Title (MangaBaka) | Alternative Title (Search) | Linguistic Origin |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| ロリ | Loli | - | Clipped from “Lolita” (ロリータ) |
| ロリコン | Lolicon | - | Clipped from compound; “Lolita Complex” (ロリータ + コンプレックス) |
| ブラコン | Brocon | - | Clipped from compound; “Brother Complex” (ブラザー + コンプレックス) |
| シスコン | Siscon | - | Clipped from compound; “Sister Complex” (シスター + コンプレックス) |
| ファザコン | Fathercon | - | Clipped from compound; “Father Complex” (ファザ + コンプレックス), fused to match the other -con's |
| マザコン | Mothercon | - | Clipped from compound; “Mother Complex” (マザ + コンプレックス), fused to match the other -con's |
| コスプレ | Cosplay | - | Clipped from compund “Costume Play” (コスチュームプレー) |

## Non-Clipped Loanwords or Japanese-made English Words

| Expression | Primary Title (MangaBaka) | Alternative Title (Search) | Linguistic Origin | Meaning / Context |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| イチャイチャ | **Ichaicha** | - | Dictionary adverb | Flirting / Making out | |
| ラブラブ | **Raburabu** | Love Love | From Japanese-made English “Love Love” | Lovey-dovey | |
| エロゲーム | **Ero Game** | - | Ero + Game | Adult/Erotic game |
| 乙女ゲーム | **Otome Game** | - | Maiden + Game | Female audience targeted dating sim |
| エンカウント | **Encount** | Encounter | From Japanese-made English “Encount” | Enemy Encounter |
| ラブコメディ | **Love Comedy** | From Japanese-made English |
| グラビアアイドル | **Gravure Idol** | From Japanese-made English |

## Non-English Loanwords

| Expression | Primary Title (MangaBaka) | Alternative Title (Search) | Linguistic Origin | Meaning / Context |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| アルバイト | **Arbeit** | - | From German meaning “Work” | | 
| ザーメン | **Samen** | Semen | From German meaning “Semen” | |
| オナニー | **Onanie** | - | From German meaning “Mastrubation” | | 
| アンケート | **Enquête** | Ankeeto | From French meaning “Survey / Questionnaire” | |

> [!TIP]
> Many medical or sexual terms in Japanese (e.g., Samen, Onanie) are derived from German, not English.
> We restore these to their German spellings rather than attempting to force them into English equivalents or literal phonetic transcriptions like “Zaamen”.

## Normal Japanese Words Often Romanized Wrong

| Expression | Primary Title (MangaBaka) | Meaning / Context |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| ちゅー / チュー | **Chuu** | Kiss, long vowel always written out |
| べろちゅー / ベロチュー | **Berochuu** | Deep/French Kiss, one word, long vowel always written out |