Dutch Words in the Japanese Language

When it comes to Gairaigo, something similar to Wasei-Eigo, we also have Dutch words used in the Japanese language. In this article, we will see a list of Japanese words derived from the Dutch language that had a significant influence in Japan.

How Did Dutch End Up in Japanese?

Dutch is a Western language that came to Japan after Portuguese and Spanish. In 1609, companies from the East India Company and the Netherlands (Federal Republic of the Netherlands) began trading at the Port of Hirado in Nagasaki.

About 30 years later, in 1640, the company moved to Dejima in Nagasaki and, even after becoming an isolated country, continued to be the only trade link in Europe and continued to transmit its culture to Japan.

In the process, many Dutch nomenclatures flowed and established themselves in the Japanese language. There is no beautiful name like wasei-eigo to refer to Japanese words of Dutch origin; what we have is [オランダ語から日本語への借用].

War Over the Origins of Japanese Words

The similarities between Western words lead some to question the origin of the words used in Japanese. Did they come from Portugal or from the Netherlands? Some words always become sources of uncertainty and confusion.

For example, some believe that the manto [マント] referring to a cloak, originated from the Portuguese language, but it is also believed to have originated from the Dutch word mantel, which when Japanalized can become manto.

They also question the origin of the word iodo whether it came from Dutch or German. The same happens with the word Reumatismus and kraan. Regardless of the origin, the lists of words in this article have their Dutch origin.

Gairaigo – Words of Foreign Origin

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, Dutch words in Japanese can be called gairaigo [外来語]. It refers to all words used in Japan of foreign origin written in katakana, regardless of the language of origin.

To explain, it is like the words internet, download, hotdog, and hamburger that we use in Portuguese. There can also be false cognates, where the original word is different from the meaning used in the Japanese language.

In Dutch, some gairaigo are stones and elements of the periodic table and some common objects and words that were brought to Japan by Dutch influence. I hope you make good use of the words mentioned in this article.

Dutch Quarter in Nagasaki

A proof that the Netherlands influenced Japan in some way is located in the city of Sasebo in Nagasaki. The place refers to one of the royal residences of the Dutch royal family in The Hague. See other foreign places in Japan.

It is a Dutch-themed park called Huis Ten Bosch with life-sized Dutch buildings full of theaters, museums, shops, amusement parks, restaurants, and a windmill.

In Nagasaki Prefecture, there are many references to the Netherlands. The Netherlands was the only European country to maintain diplomatic relations during the isolation of the Edo period. Some of these influences can be seen in the vocabulary of this article.

List of Dutch Words in Japanese

Below is a list of Japanese words with their meaning in Portuguese and their origin in Dutch:

Responsive Table: Scroll the table sideways with your finger >>

Japanese	Portuguese	Dutch
アスベスト	asbestos	asbest
アパルトヘイト	apartheid	apartheid
アルカリ	alkaline	alkali
アルコール	alcohol	alcohol
インキ	ink	inkt
エゲレス	egeres	Engelsch
エキス	extract	extract
エーテル	ether	ether
エレキ（エレキテル）	electric (electel)	elektriciteit
お転婆	tomboy	ontembaar
オルゴール	music box	orgel
オレーフ	olef	olijf
ガス	gas	gas
カバン	bag	kabas
ガラス	glass	glas
カラン	callan	kraan
カリウム	potassium	kalium
カン	can	kan
カンテラ	lantern	kandelaar
カンフル	camphor	kamfer
キナ	kina	kina
キニーネ	quinine	kinine
ギプス	plaster	gips
コック	rooster	kok
コップ	cup	kop
コーヒー	coffee	koffie
ゴム	rubber	gom
コルク	cork	kurk
コンパス	compass	kompas
サーベル	saber	sabel
サフラン	saffron	saffraan
シロップ	syrup	siroop
ジャガタラ	jagatara	Jacatra
スコップ	shovel	schop
ズック	zuck	doek
スポイト	dropper	spuit
ソーダ	soda	soda
ソップ	soup	sop
タラップ	ladder	trap
ダンス	dance	dans
チンキ	tincture	tinctuur
デッキ	deck	dek
ドイツ	Germany	Duits(land)
ドック	dock	dok
どんたく	dontaku	zondag
ニッケル	nickel	nikkel
ビーカー	beaker	beker
ピストル	pistol	pistool
ビール	beer	bier
ヒステリー	hysteria	hysterie
ピンセット	tweezers	pincet
ピント	focus	brandpunt
フラフ	fluff	vlag
ブール	boer	boer
ブリキ	tin	blik
ペスト	plague	pest
ベルギー	Belgium	België
ペン	pen	pen
ペンキ	paint	pek
ホック	hook	haak
ホップ	hop	hop
ポマード	pomade	pommade
ポルダ	polder	polder
ホース	hose	hoos
ボール盤	drill	boor bank
ポン酢	ponzu sauce	pons
ポンド	pound	pond
ポンプ	pump	pomp
マスト	mast	mast
マドロス	sailor	matroos
マホメット	Mohammed	Mahomed
マラリア	malaria	malaria
マント	cloak	mantel
メス	female	mes
モルモット	guinea pig	marmot
モルヒネ	morphine	morfine
八重洲	yaesu	Jan Joosten
ヨード	iodine	jodium
ヨードチンキ	iodine tincture	Joodtinctuur
ヨーロッパ	Europe	Europa
ランドセル	school bag	ransel
ランセット	lancet	lancet
ライスターフェル	leisterfell	rijsttafel
ランプ	lamp	lamp
リウマチ	rheumatoid	rheumatisch
リュックサック	backpack	rugzak
ルーデサック	rude sack	roede-zak
レッテル	label	letter
レトルト	retort	retort
レンズ	lens	lens
ロストル	rostle	rooster

Ponzu Sauce – In its original sense, refers to the juice of citrus fruits, which in turn came to mean mixed vinegar. It is also used as an abbreviation for “ponzu soy sauce.” The drink “ponchi” (punch) is also derived from the same word.