Japanese Person Explains How English Sarcasm Doesn’t Translate Well In Japanese, Shows Examples
Every now and then, human communication encounters errors. ‘Cause it’s already hard enough to come across a simple, clear message. But it’s a whole different story when it comes to building bridges between cultures. One word at the wrong place and wrong time and you’re screwed.
This is essentially why one Japanese artist felt it was vital to let their English fandom know what not to do while commenting on Japanese artists’ works. In an urgent tweet with the caption “Please read!”, Chii urged avoiding using particular memes because English sarcasm and humor may come across as insulting. Her tweet got a whopping 179.7K likes and 78.5K retweets, showing that so many people weren’t immune to her argument.
And honestly, chances are, you too have been unsure of whether a statement is indeed ironic. So the next time you pop the “Are you serious?” question, think of the cultures that just don’t enter that grey area.
The artist urged English-speakers to stop using memes when commenting on Japanese art in this viral tweet
Image credits: ceallachs_
The artist posted this example of a meme
And showed what kind of reaction it received
Here is another example showing the misunderstanding
Image credits: ceallachs_
Although in the English speaking world, irony and sarcasm is something everyone is pretty much used to when it comes to communicating, using them in Japanese may be quite a bad idea.
Patricia Pringle, a consultant at Japan Intercultural Consulting, explains that “Americans are mostly unaware of using verbal irony because it is all around us.” The nation is famous for wisecracking jokes since TV and social media are full of them.
Meanwhile, the Japanese face many challenges in trying to understand what Americans are saying. “When they are able to piece together the words or phrases, they might miss the intonations that signal irony to native speakers,” Patricia argues.
The artist went on to add that being respectful in comments applies to all the foreign posts
Image credits: ceallachs_
Image credits: ceallachs_
Image credits: felicider
Image credits: ceallachs_
And even if Americans are being ironic and indeed funny to the ears of fellow Americans, Patricia claims that “it does not translate well to the Japanese”.
Being positive and tactful is the way to go when communicating with foreigners. “When they listen to Americans, they are not expecting irony. They are expecting direct speech,” the consultant concluded.
Image credits: ceallachs_
Image credits: ceallachs_
Image credits: ceallachs_
Image credits: ceallachs_
More people joined in the thread to voice their views on the matter
Image credits: pareo1312
Image credits: pareo1312
Image credits: eyechanw
Image credits: eyechanw
Image credits: melomenon
Image credits: the_almandine
Image credits: nadis_subdued
Image credits: CaliburnClarent
Tbh commenting with those sarcastic memes is rude regardless of the artist's nationality. Why can't people just give a normal compliment?
To be honest, I didnt understand what the memes really meant either and I'm a native English speaker and American. I dont think I would have posted them to something that I appreciated either. Personally I think almost all memes are meant as humor or criticism so why do that when you are trying to praise something. Life is too compicated at it is.
Some of you are so rude... Why are you so insensitive?? Japanese people are not used to this type of comments and because of their personality they are not going to fight back, but then you talk to other much more assertive cultures and you are offended. USA people (yes, because UK or Australian people don't usually do these things) tend to forget that you are not the center of the world.
Actually its not just USA people, the western world can be sarcastic. Funny of you to generalize all Americans as being the same. Just like its ridiculous of you to generalize all Japanese as being the same.
Load More Replies...I am English and I found those memes horrible, and my culture is about as ironic and sarcastic as you can get.
As a Brit I completely agree, american "meme" humour is absolutely bloody awful, there's the odd few that are a bit funny but mostly it's just cringey and annoying.
Load More Replies...I speak sarcasm fluently, and none of those excample memes were sarcasm.
There's a Star Trek episode (Darmok) in which the crew encounters a species that communicates entirely through memes. They cannot understand each other. The end.
I dn't even understand one of those memes, and I'm not Japanese. I just seem to be incredibly old...
Very informative. Thank you for sharing I’ll make sure I am more aware of what I’m posting in the future
Those memes would be inappropriate anywhere, not only in Japanese culture...
I’m Dutch and while I know these memes and my English is pretty good, I still don’t get them in this context. The mask one? Very inappropriate. “Delete this post”? Doesn’t convey happiness or a compliment at all. Yet I also don’t understand why the artist cares so much and even deletes posts when they get these comments. It’s your art, if you’re proud of it and like it, just ignore those stupid memes.
If I'm understanding this correctly, a part of Japanese culture makes them not supposed to stand up about people saying stuff like that, so they just delete the art because they might be offending someone.
Load More Replies...Communications is hard? News at 11... English is the new lingua franca and it is natural for the natives to forget this.
i feel this article could have been framed better. Memes require that you share the same media/culture/language exposure in order for their full meaning to be understood by both parties. If I meme something from Slaughterhouse Five, and you've never heard of it, the meme has failed. Worse, if there is a different cultural meaning on both ends, you could unintentionally give offence. Like the American "ok" handsign. Or the "Thumbs up".
lol All the cool cats and kittens think they have developed new lingo and ways to communicate and manage to just be jackasses. Sorry Japan. Your work is amazing and you shouldn't delete anything nor stop your flow over comments. BE YOU.
so a man found where the origins of the first "woosh" came from, am I right?
First of all, none of the showcased comment is sarcastic. Those are just unfortunate wishy-washy attempts at humour. Secondly, I don't think that thу piece of advice about using only basic simplest English phrases with non-native speakers is good. Honestly, if somebody talked to me like to a mentally challenged toddler, intentionally oversimplifying every single word, I wouldn't be thrilled, to say the least. A lot of non-natives understand English just fine and can use Google if they come across a word or expression they are not sure about.
I'm a massively sarcastic person irl, but I realise it really doesn't translate well when written down so I never do it online.
Frankly, if you make something international, you must treat it internationally. Asking for a language to be "skimmed down" does not work. At the same time, beunh culturally sensitive is always advisable. Afteg all, witj irony sarcasm, cynicism and black humour one can easily be misunderstood in one's own language.
My boss is this totally awesome Filipino woman, and I want so badly to share her mixed up idioms. I just worry it would come off as mocking, and that's just not my intention. My personal favorites are when we go to clean a place and she says "let's mingle this place," but sometimes she says "let's go mangle this place," which cracks me up. Others include "it's not MY circus that's on fire" (not my monkeys, not my circus), and "out of the balloon" (out of the blue). Since she lives with her horrible husband who belittles her, and his equally terrible mother, I don't want her to feel stupid. She had to drop out of school when she was NINE because her father died and she had to help her mom support her FOURTEEN siblings...so she never learned to read, and those terrible people throw that in her face and call her stupid. She grew up in desperate poverty where the family starved, yet she is beyond generous. I have nothing but mad respect for her learning English and being an amazing person.
When I don't understand something, I'll search for its meaning.... but cultures can be quite different from each other.
"Hey artists, don't make art because someone might misinterpret your meaning." Wankers... This writer is a moron.
I could interpret this article's meaning as Japanese are sensitive little cherry blossoms who must be coddled and sheltered from the uncouth Western humor, let their delicate little petals fall off....and the Western world must take steps to speak calmly and quietly to them, lest their petals catch a puff of wind from an uncouth Westerners mouth and drift down in despair and rejection. What a fun interpretation
What in the f**k is even going on here? None of this makes sense.
"Hey whiny Japanese artist: don't make art because someone might misinterpret your meaning." Wanker... This writer is a moron.
What is your definition of meme then? First meme in question is the drawing of a guy in rage-tears with a happy-mask on. The second is the smileyface cocking a gun.
Load More Replies...Yeah but this is specifically comnenting on a Japanese artists work, therefore the person who will see it is going to be Japanese
Load More Replies...Well, I didn't see that first meme as a "I loved your post" either. Perhaps I'm autistic too, then? Here - have a downvote :)
Load More Replies...Tbh commenting with those sarcastic memes is rude regardless of the artist's nationality. Why can't people just give a normal compliment?
To be honest, I didnt understand what the memes really meant either and I'm a native English speaker and American. I dont think I would have posted them to something that I appreciated either. Personally I think almost all memes are meant as humor or criticism so why do that when you are trying to praise something. Life is too compicated at it is.
Some of you are so rude... Why are you so insensitive?? Japanese people are not used to this type of comments and because of their personality they are not going to fight back, but then you talk to other much more assertive cultures and you are offended. USA people (yes, because UK or Australian people don't usually do these things) tend to forget that you are not the center of the world.
Actually its not just USA people, the western world can be sarcastic. Funny of you to generalize all Americans as being the same. Just like its ridiculous of you to generalize all Japanese as being the same.
Load More Replies...I am English and I found those memes horrible, and my culture is about as ironic and sarcastic as you can get.
As a Brit I completely agree, american "meme" humour is absolutely bloody awful, there's the odd few that are a bit funny but mostly it's just cringey and annoying.
Load More Replies...I speak sarcasm fluently, and none of those excample memes were sarcasm.
There's a Star Trek episode (Darmok) in which the crew encounters a species that communicates entirely through memes. They cannot understand each other. The end.
I dn't even understand one of those memes, and I'm not Japanese. I just seem to be incredibly old...
Very informative. Thank you for sharing I’ll make sure I am more aware of what I’m posting in the future
Those memes would be inappropriate anywhere, not only in Japanese culture...
I’m Dutch and while I know these memes and my English is pretty good, I still don’t get them in this context. The mask one? Very inappropriate. “Delete this post”? Doesn’t convey happiness or a compliment at all. Yet I also don’t understand why the artist cares so much and even deletes posts when they get these comments. It’s your art, if you’re proud of it and like it, just ignore those stupid memes.
If I'm understanding this correctly, a part of Japanese culture makes them not supposed to stand up about people saying stuff like that, so they just delete the art because they might be offending someone.
Load More Replies...Communications is hard? News at 11... English is the new lingua franca and it is natural for the natives to forget this.
i feel this article could have been framed better. Memes require that you share the same media/culture/language exposure in order for their full meaning to be understood by both parties. If I meme something from Slaughterhouse Five, and you've never heard of it, the meme has failed. Worse, if there is a different cultural meaning on both ends, you could unintentionally give offence. Like the American "ok" handsign. Or the "Thumbs up".
lol All the cool cats and kittens think they have developed new lingo and ways to communicate and manage to just be jackasses. Sorry Japan. Your work is amazing and you shouldn't delete anything nor stop your flow over comments. BE YOU.
so a man found where the origins of the first "woosh" came from, am I right?
First of all, none of the showcased comment is sarcastic. Those are just unfortunate wishy-washy attempts at humour. Secondly, I don't think that thу piece of advice about using only basic simplest English phrases with non-native speakers is good. Honestly, if somebody talked to me like to a mentally challenged toddler, intentionally oversimplifying every single word, I wouldn't be thrilled, to say the least. A lot of non-natives understand English just fine and can use Google if they come across a word or expression they are not sure about.
I'm a massively sarcastic person irl, but I realise it really doesn't translate well when written down so I never do it online.
Frankly, if you make something international, you must treat it internationally. Asking for a language to be "skimmed down" does not work. At the same time, beunh culturally sensitive is always advisable. Afteg all, witj irony sarcasm, cynicism and black humour one can easily be misunderstood in one's own language.
My boss is this totally awesome Filipino woman, and I want so badly to share her mixed up idioms. I just worry it would come off as mocking, and that's just not my intention. My personal favorites are when we go to clean a place and she says "let's mingle this place," but sometimes she says "let's go mangle this place," which cracks me up. Others include "it's not MY circus that's on fire" (not my monkeys, not my circus), and "out of the balloon" (out of the blue). Since she lives with her horrible husband who belittles her, and his equally terrible mother, I don't want her to feel stupid. She had to drop out of school when she was NINE because her father died and she had to help her mom support her FOURTEEN siblings...so she never learned to read, and those terrible people throw that in her face and call her stupid. She grew up in desperate poverty where the family starved, yet she is beyond generous. I have nothing but mad respect for her learning English and being an amazing person.
When I don't understand something, I'll search for its meaning.... but cultures can be quite different from each other.
"Hey artists, don't make art because someone might misinterpret your meaning." Wankers... This writer is a moron.
I could interpret this article's meaning as Japanese are sensitive little cherry blossoms who must be coddled and sheltered from the uncouth Western humor, let their delicate little petals fall off....and the Western world must take steps to speak calmly and quietly to them, lest their petals catch a puff of wind from an uncouth Westerners mouth and drift down in despair and rejection. What a fun interpretation
What in the f**k is even going on here? None of this makes sense.
"Hey whiny Japanese artist: don't make art because someone might misinterpret your meaning." Wanker... This writer is a moron.
What is your definition of meme then? First meme in question is the drawing of a guy in rage-tears with a happy-mask on. The second is the smileyface cocking a gun.
Load More Replies...Yeah but this is specifically comnenting on a Japanese artists work, therefore the person who will see it is going to be Japanese
Load More Replies...Well, I didn't see that first meme as a "I loved your post" either. Perhaps I'm autistic too, then? Here - have a downvote :)
Load More Replies...
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