Guide to Japanese Acronyms
In Japanese-English there are many acronyms for making it easier to use foreign
loan words. However, to native English speakers, these acronyms are often totally
baffling.
This is not a definitive guide; acronyms are certainly not official in any sense
and many Japanese people often do not know the expansion. I have even seen ruby above
some of them when used on signs!
| Acronym | Expansion |
|---|
| AV | Adult Video (porn) |
| BGM | BackGround Music |
| B1 | Bachelor level 1, also B2, B3 and B4 (University student) |
| CD | Cash Dispenser (often found in a "CD corner") |
| CM | CoMmercial |
| CS | Convenience Store |
| DM | Direct Mail |
| D1 | Doctor's level 1, also D2, D3 (University student) |
| FA | Final Answer (taken from Who wants to be a millionaire ?) |
| GS | Gasoline Stand (UK: petrol station) |
| HP | Home Page |
| IH | Integrated Hob/heater ? (cooking centre) |
| LO | Last Orders (restaurants, bars) |
| LV | Little Very (used at some Indian and curry houses, for example little very hot curry) |
| HN | Handle Name (username on a computer system) |
| M1 | Master's level 1, also M2 (University student) |
| NG | Not/no Good |
| NJ | Non Japanese (see note below) |
| OB | Old Boy |
| OL | Office Lady (woman doing menial tasks in an office such as filing or making coffee for visitors) |
| SL | Steam Locomotive |
| 1F | first floor, also 2F, 3F etc and B1F, B2F etc for basement floors |
Note: NJ is a foreign invented acronym used in discussion about life in Japan. Somehow
it is meant to be much more polite than gaijin which is often
used sweepingly or inappropriately.
|
