Which Japanese words come from Portuguese?

Many Portuguese words entered Japanese when Jesuit priests from Portugal introduced Christian ideas and things to the Japanese during the Muromachi period (1337-1573). Here is a list of some of them which have survived until the present day. Although these words are all gairaigo, some of them have kanji. See 1.2.6. Why do some gairaigo words have kanji?.

(Arigatō does not come from Portuguese. See 4.1. Is arigatō related to Portuguese “obrigado”?)

Words of disputed origin

The origin of some words such as saboten, “cactus” and buranko, “swing” is disputed, but according to some explanations they may have come from Portuguese.

List of words of Portuguese origin

Here is a list of some words from Portuguese which have survived until the present day.

Japanese (rōmaji)	Japanese (kanji/kana)	Original Portuguese (from Kōjien)	Modern Portuguese	English	Notes
bateren	伴天連 ▽破天連バテレン	padre	padre, pai	priest, father
biidoro	ビードロ	vidro	vidro	glass
birōdo	天鵞絨ビロード	veludo	veludo	velvet	天鵞絨 may also be read as てんがじゅう, the on’yomi reading (Daijirin, Kōjien). May have come from the Spanish velludo (Kōjien lists both options)
bōro, bōru	ボーロボール	bolo	bolo	cake
botan	釦鈕ボタン	botão	botão	button
charumera, charumeru	▽哨吶チャルメラ ▽チャルメル	charamela	charamela	shawm
chokki	チョッキ	jaqueta	colete	waistcoat (UK English); vest (US English).	Source language and exact source word uncertain.
furasuko	フラスコ	frasco	frasco	flask
Igirisu	イギリス	inglez	inglês	England/The UK	In Portuguese, inglês means English or Englishman. In Japanese, igirisu means ‘The United Kingdom’.
iruman	▽入満 ▽伊留満 ▽由婁漫イルマン	irmão	irmão	brother	Term used in early Japanese Christianity; missionary next in line to become a priest
jōro	如雨露 ▽如露じょうろ	jorro	jarro	watering can	Kōjien says this origin is one theory. Daijirin also gives the Portuguese jorro as a possible origin.
jiban, juban	襦袢ジバンジュバン	gibão	gibão	underwear	In Portuguese, the word “gibão” means “jerkin” (in some cases, “doublet”), rather than “underwear”, the latter too generic a term.
kapitan	▽甲比丹 ▽甲必丹カピタン	capitão	capitão	captain
kanakin, kanekin	金巾 ▽かなきん ▽かねきん	canequim	unbleached muslin/calico	Not used in present-day Portuguese.
kappa	合羽カッパ	capa	capa (de chuva)	raincoat
karumera	カルメラ	caramelo	caramelo	caramel	Daijirin but not Kōjien notes the Portuguese caramelo as a source for this word.
karuta	歌留多 ▽加留多骨牌カルタ	carta	cartas (de jogar)	playing cards
kirishitan	切支丹 ▽吉利支丹キリシタン	cristão	cristão	Christian
kirisuto	基督キリスト	Cristo	Cristo	Christ	Also kurisuto クリスト
konpeitō	金米糖金平糖 ▽金餅糖コンペイトー	confeito	confeito	A kind of star-shaped candy.	The modern Portuguese word “confeito” more commonly means “sugar-plum” or “comfit”, though it also signifies a small candy made with hardened melted sugar, to which various dyes or ingredients are added, sold in wrapped paper. In this case, it is also called “rebuçado”. “Confeito” is also related to the English word “confetti”.
kurusu	クルス	cruz	cruz	cross	See ピンからキリまで, キリ is said to be a corruption of クルス.
marumero	木瓜マルメロ	marmelo	marmelo	quince	木瓜 may also be read as ぼけ.
meriyasu	莫大小 ▽目利安メリヤス	meias	meias	hosiery, knitting	In Portuguese, meias means “socks”.
miira	木乃伊ミイラ	mirra	mirra	mummy (embalmed human)	In Portuguese, mirra means “myrrh”.
oranda	和蘭阿蘭陀 ▽和蘭陀オランダ	Olanda	Holanda	Holland
pan	麺麭 ▽麪包パン	pão	pão	bread
pin kara kiri made	ピンからキリまで	pinta, cruz	pinta, cruz	completely, utterly	The pin and kiri are said to have come from Portuguese.
rasha	羅紗ラシャ	raxa	raxa	felt
rozario	ロザリオ	rosario	rosário	rosary
sabato	サバト	sábado	sábado	Saturday	Kōjien also notes the Dutch sabbat as a possible source for this word.
sarasa	更紗サラサ	saraça	saraça	chintz	Not used in modern Portuguese.
shabon	シャボン	sabão	sabão	soap	Commonly used in the word shabon-dama, “soap bubble”, in present-day Japanese.
shōro	ショーロ	choro	choro	weeping
subeta	スベタ	espada	espada	Sword (in playing cards, original use) Ugly faced woman Worthless card (in a type of card game) Boring person	Not in very common use in modern Japanese.
tabako	煙草 ▽莨タバコ	tabaco	tabaco	tobacco	Tabako also means “cigarettes” in present-day Japanese.
totan	トタン	tutanaga	tutanaga	zinc	Now used to mean galvanized sheet iron (e.g. corrugated roofing material) in Japanese. In Portuguese, “tutanaga” is a whitish alloy made of copper, zinc and nickel to which bits of iron, silver or arsenium are added (i.e., not simply ‘zinc’). It is considered a Chinese invention, though Portuguese inherited the word via Persian “tutia-nak”, meaning “zinc oxide”.
tempura	天麩羅天婦羅てんぷら	têmporas	tempero	tempura	Tempero is Portuguese for spice or seasoning, but the Japanese word tempura means battered and deep-fried fish or vegetables.
zabon	朱欒 ▽香欒ザボン	zamboa	zamboa	shaddock

Here a ▽ marks uncommon words, readings and variations.

Words from modern Portuguese

Japanese romaji	Japanese kana	Portuguese	Meaning	Notes
shurasuko	シュラスコ	churrasco	Brazilian barbecue	From Daijirin.

References

Acknowledgements

This list was derived from posts by Christian Wittern, Tomoko Yamamoto, and Bart Mathias, and checked and compiled with help from Paul Blay.

sci.lang.japan FAQ / 4. Words from other languages

If you have questions, corrections, or comments, please contact Ben Bullock or use the discussion forum / Privacy

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