Japanese (kanji or kana)

Japanese (rōmaji)

Dutch (origin)

English (meaning of Japanese word)

Notes

アスベスト

asubesuto

asbest

asbestos

アラック

arakku

arak

arrack

(a kind of alcoholic beverage)

アルカリ

arukari

alkali

alkali

(a chemical)

アルコール

arukooru

alcohol

alcohol

The origin is disputed. This may have come via Portuguese. The original word comes from Arabic.

インキ

inki

inkt

ink

changed to inku (インク) from English. Inki is seen in names of old companies producing ink

オランウータン

oranuutan

orang-oetan

orangutan

The word comes originally from the Malay and/or Indonesian language, oran (=person) + (h)utan (=forest). However, the Dutch ships brough many new animal species from Africa and Asia to Decima port (Nagasaki) in Japan, while the rest of Japan was stricly closed to outside influences during the Edo period. Many words, although not originally Dutch, therefore came through the Dutch language. See also:

[語源由来辞典: オランウータン]

オルゴール

orugooru

orgel (organ)

music box

The Dutch word organ is nowadays mainly used for church organs, barrel organs, or a Hammond organ for instance. The Japanese meaning of “music box” would be covered by the Dutch word “muziekdoos”.

お転婆

otenba

ontembaar (untamable)

a tomboy. Active girl with a lack of modesty.

The Dutch word is not used with this meaning. It is not clear whether there is a relation between the Dutch and the Japanese word, or that the similarity is a coincidence and the story made up. See also:

[語源由来辞典: お転婆]

ガス

gasu

gas

gas

[語源由来辞典: ガス]

カバン、鞄

kaban

kabas

bag

the Dutch word kabas is not used anymore. Tas (bag) or Koffer (case) is used nowadays. Kabas is actually an oldfashioned big reed basket (often used when traveling long distances, for instance on ships). The Japanese word might also originate from Chinese. See also:

[語源由来辞典: カバン]

ガラス, 硝子

garasu

glas

window glass

カラン、下欄

karan

kraan

water outlet, faucet

Originally from Dutch “kraan”/”kraanvogel” (crane, the bird). Since the crane (machine) and faucet have a similar shape, the Dutch word “kraan” is also used to signify these. The Japanese カラン only refers to the faucet. (*Origin disputed, may have come from German "Kran") See also:

[語源由来辞典: カラン]

カルキ

karuki

kalk

chalk, white limestone

カンフル

kanfuru

kamfer

camphor

(fragrant syrup)

キニーネ

kiniine

kinine

quinine

similar to caffeine, medication used to treat malaria

ギプス

gipusu

gips

gypsum, plaster, stuff used when one's bone is broken

might actually originate from German

クッキー

kukkii

koekje

cookie

Originally from Dutch, the word entered Japanese via English. See also:

[語源由来辞典: クッキー]

グラス

gurasu

glas

drinking glass

コーヒー, 珈琲

koohii

koffie

coffee

コック

kokku

kok

cook

the person who cooks

コップ

koppu

kop

drinking glass

Note the difference in meaning, Duch people wont call a (drinking) glass “kop”; May have come from Portuguese “copo”.

ゴム

gomu

gom/gum

rubber, eraser

コルク

koruku

kurk

cork (material)

コンパス

konpasu

kompas

compass

コンマ

konma

komma

comma

サーベル

saaberu

sabel

saber, curved single-edged sword

サフラン

safuran

saffraan

saffron

species of crocus plant; spice and food coloring 

シロップ

siroppu

siroop

syrup

しんけい、神経

shinkei

zenuw

nerve

"The Japanese word was thought up when translating a Dutch medical book. It is a combination of 神気 (shinki = spirit, psyche) and 経脈 (keiraku=Meridian (a term from Chinese medicine), or “transmission vein”). See also:

[語源由来辞典: 神経]

スープ

suupu

soep

soup

スコップ

sukoppu

schop

shovel, scoop

ズック

zukku

doek

plimsolls, shoes made of canvas/cloth

Original Dutch meaning: cloth, piece of textile, canvas, (material to make) a sailing boat's sail

スポイト

supoito

spuit (medical syringe, nozzle of a fire hose, generally a tool for squirting liquids)

Pasteur pipette, dropper

The actual Japanese meaning is a Pasteur pipette or dropper. The Dutch word generally refers to a syringe with a needle, or the nozzle of a fire hose (the verb “spuiten” means to squirt)

セイウチ

seiuchi

zeekoe

walrus

mostly called 海象(kaizou) or 海馬 (kaiba) in Japanese. セイウチ probably comes from Russian “sivuch” but there is a small possibility that the Dutch “zeekoe” (sea cow) is was the base for the word セイウチ, with セイ sounding like zee (sea) and ウチ a misinterpretation of the Japanese 牛 (cow) for instance.

ゼネイフル

zeneifuru

jenever

Dutch gin

alcoholic beverage

タラップ

tarappu

trap (stairs)

gangway ladder

ダンス

dansu

dans

dance

デッキ

dekki

dek

deck, floor of a ship

ドック

dokku

dok

(dry) dock

Interestingly, the word ドック is also used in the Japanese idiom “人間ドック” (human dock) referring to a “general health screening” / “medical checkup”. See also:

[wiki: 人間ドック]

[語源由来辞典: 人間ドック]

ドロップ

doroppu

drop

liquorice

(a kind of sweets)

ドンタク

dontaku

zondag (Sunday)

name of a festival at Kyushu (Fukuoka/Hakatta)

See also handon. Sunday is the sabbath day of many Christians

See also:

[wiki: 博多どんたく]

[語源由来辞典: 博多どんたく]

ニス

nisu

vernis

varnish

From Dutch and/or English. see also: wanisu

See also:

[語源由来辞典: ニス]

ニッケル

nikkeru

nikkel

nickel

(a metal)

パップ

pappu

pap

pap, porridge

not often used in Japanese, kayu (かゆ、粥）is used instead

ハム

hamu

ham

ham

(sort of pork meat)

バロメーター

baromeetaa

barometer

barometer

ハンドン、半ドン

handon

zondag (Sunday)

half-day holiday

Compound of Japanese han (half) and dontaku). Not used often. See also:

[wiki: 半ドン]

[語源由来辞典: 半ドン]

ビール, 麦酒

biiru

bier

beer

In some cases the word ビア(“bia”) originating from English is used, such as in ビアガーデン (beer garden) and ビアホール (beer hall). See also:

[語源由来辞典: ビール]

ヒステリー

hisuterii

hysterie

hysteria

uncontrollable outburst of emotion

ピストル

pisutoru

pistool

pistol

びょういん、病院

byouin

ziekenhuis, hospitaal

hospital

The words “hospital” shares its etymology with “hotel”. The Japanese 院 shares the same meaning. In Dutch, rather than the word “hospitaal” the word “ziekenhuis” (sick house - house for the sick) is commonly used. The Japanese word for illness is 病. The word 病院 may therefore well be a direct translation from the Dutch “ziekenhuis”.

ピンセット

pinsetto

pincet

pincette, tweezers

ピント

pinto

punt (point)

focus point of a lens/photocamera

ブリキ

buriki

blik

tin, tin plate

ペリカン

perikan

pelikaan

pelican

bird

ペン

pen

pen

pen

ボール盤

booruban

boorbank

drilling machine (drill press, bench drill)

The kanji 盤 (pron.:”ban”) was probably chosen to match both the sound “bank” and meaning (tray). See also:

[wiki: ボール盤]

ホップ

hoppu

hop

hop

plant used in the beer making process

ポルダー

porudaa

polder

drained low lying land prepared for use (e.g. reclaimed from the sea)

ポンプ

ponpu

pomp

pump

マーモット

maamotto

marmot

marmot

animal

マスト

masuto

mast

mast (of a ship)

マドロス

madorosu

matroos

sailor

not used often in Japanese

マラリヤ

marariya

malaria

malaria

マント

manto

mantel

cloak, mantle

メス

mesu

mes (knife)

scalpel (surgical knife)

In Japanese, the word ナイフ (naifu) is generally used to refer to a normal knife (e.g., table knife, kitchen knife)

モルヒネ

moruhine

morfine

morphine

See also:

[語源由来辞典: モルヒネ]

ヨード

yoodo

jodium

iodine

Chemical element. May actually be a word taken from German

ラッパ

rappa

roeper (caller, megaphone without electric amplification)

horn, trumpet, or generally a simple brass wind instrument

Via Chinese from Sanskrit. Not used anymore as such in general Dutch. The verb “roepen” still means to call someone or to say or state something. “Roeper” used to be (is?) a military term for a conical tube used to give commands at ships, it should be designed so that the voice carries over at least 400el (=277m). See also:  

[Military Dictionary: roeper]

[語源由来辞典: ラッパ]

ラバルベル

rabaruberu

rabarber

rhubarb

(edible plant), not used often in Japanese

ランセット

ransetto

lancet

lancet

not used often

ランドセル

randoseru

ransel

square backpack, knapsack

Only used for the school satchels worn by Japanese children. The word has become obsolete in Dutch. See also:

[語源由来辞典: ランドセル]

ランプ

rampu

lamp

lamp

ルイボス

ruibosu

rooibos

rooibos

From South African “rooi” (from Dutch “rood” = red) and “bos” (from Dutch “bos” = bushes, forest). See also:

[wiki: ルイボス]

[語源由来辞典: ルイボス]

レッテル

retteru

letter

only used in「レッテルを貼る」retteru o haru: to tag/label someone (negative meaning)

original meaning: character which is part of an alphabet like in “the letter A is the first in the alphabet”

レプラ

repura

lepra

lepra, leprosy

contagious bacterial disease, this name is not used anymore in Japanese

レンズ

renzu

lens

lens

ワニス、和ニス

wanisu

vernis

varnish, Japanese laquer ware

From Dutch and/or English. If the “wa” is written as 和 it means Japanese laquer (漆, urushi), but if it is written as ワ it means western varnish. See also:

[語源由来辞典: ニス]