Glossary of Japanese words of Dutch origin


Japanese words of Dutch origin started to develop when the Dutch East India Company initiated trading in Japan from the factory of Hirado in 1609. In 1640, the Dutch were transferred to Dejima, and from then on until 1854 remained the only Westerners allowed access to Japan, during Japan's sakoku seclusion period.
Numerous exchanges occurred, leading to a branch of Western learning in Japan known as rangaku, or "Dutch learning", where the in rangaku comes from Oranda, the Japanese word for Holland; gaku is of Sino-Japanese origin and means "learning". In the process, a number of terms were adopted from Dutch into the Japanese language. At one point, some 3,000 words are thought to have been used, especially in the areas of technical and scientific vocabulary. About 160 such words of Dutch origin remain in use today in standard Japanese.
Japanese transliteration Japanese term Dutch termEnglish termDetails
arukariアルカリalkalialkaliFrom Arabic, through Dutch.
arukōruアルコールalcoholalcoholFrom Arabic, through Dutch.
asubesutoアスベストasbestasbestosFrom Greek, through Dutch.
bīruビール, 麦酒bierbeer
bisukettoビスケットbeschuitbiscuitReinforcement of Portuguese biscoito.
bōruボールboordrill, boreAfter 1720.
burikiブリキbliktin
chifusuチフスtyfustyphusFrom Greek, through Dutch.
chinkiチンキtinctuurtinctureShortened from チンキテュール.
dansuダンスdansdance
doitsuドイツDuitsGermany, German
dokkuドックdok dock
dontakuドンタクzondagSundayAlso occasionally found as ゾンタク. Appears from the early, after 1868.
doronkenドロンケンdronkendrunk
ekisuエキスextractextractShortened from エキストラクト.
erekishiteitoエレキシテイトelectricityObsolete, replaced by.
erekiteruエレキテルcorruption of elekiterA type of generator of static electricity used for electric experiments in the 18th century
ēteruエーテルetheretherFrom Greek, through Dutch.
garasuガラス, 硝子glasglass
gasuガス, 瓦斯gasgas
giyamanギヤマンdiamantdiamondFrom Greek, through Dutch.
gomuゴムgom, gumrubber
gorofukurenゴロフクレン, 呉絽服連grofgreingrosgrain
hamuハムhamham
handon半ドン, ハンドンdaghalf-day; holidayCompound of Japanese han and . This word is no longer commonly used in Japanese.
hatoronハトロン, パトロンpatroonpattern
henrūdaヘンルーダwijnruitcommon rue
hettoヘットbeef tallowCognate with English '.
hisuteriiヒステリーhysteriehysteria
hukkuフックhoekCognate with English '.
infuruenzaインフルエンザinfluenzainfluenzaAfter 1720. More likely borrowed from English. The term originated in Italian, and became common worldwide in the 18th century via English.
inkiインキinktink
kamitsureカミツレkamillecamomileFrom Greek, through Dutch. After 1720.
kanteraカンテラcandela, kandelaarcandela
kapitanカピタン, 甲比丹kapiteinMore likely derived from Portuguese '.
karanカランkraantap / faucet Cognate with English ', from the resemblance of the bird's neck to a faucet pipe.
kariカリ, カリウムkali, kaliumpotassium
karukiカルキkalklime, chlorinated limeCognate with English '.
katēteruカテーテルkathetercatheterFrom Greek, through Dutch.
kechinケチンkettingchainAfter 1720. Now obsolete.
keido珪土keiaardesilicaCalque. The initial element kei is a phonetic borrowing from the kei in the Dutch term keiaarde, and the do in the Japanese is a translation of the aarde of the Dutch term. First appears in 1877. Now obsolete, replaced by シリカ from English silica.
kiruku / korukuキルク / コルクkurkcork
kōhīコーヒー, 珈琲koffiecoffeeFrom Arabic, through Dutch.
kokkuコックkokcook
koppuコップkopcupReinforcement of Portuguese copo.
konpasuコンパスkompascompass
koreraコレラcholeracholeraFrom Greek, through Dutch.
kureosōtoクレオソートcreosootcreosote
madorosuマドロスmatroossailor
masutoマストmastmast
mesuメスscalpelAfter 1720.
moruhineモルヒネmorfinemorphineAfter 1720.
morumottoモルモットmarmotGuinea pig; marmot
nisuニスvernisvarnish
oburātoオブラートoblaatoblaatAlso listed in some Japanese sources as deriving from the cognate German term '.
orugōruオルゴール muziekdoos music box
penkiペンキpek, pikhouse paint
pesutoペストpestblack deathAfter 1720.
pintoピントpuntShortened from the longer term '.
pisutoruピストルpistoolpistol
ponpuポンプpomppumpAfter 1720.
ponzuポン酢ponsponzuThe Dutch term pons for the beverage was , and was eventually superseded by the term punsch or punch.
randoseruランドセルranselbackpackFrom German Ränzel or Low German rensel, through Dutch.
ranpuランプ, 洋灯lamplampFrom Greek, through Dutch.
retorutoレトルトretortretort
renzuレンズlenslens
safuranサフランsaffraansaffron
satenサテンsatijnsatin
seimiセイミ, 舎密chemiechemistryNow obsolete, replaced by.
shianシアンcyaancyan
shiroppuシロップsiroopsyrup
sukoppuスコップschoptrowelCognate with English '.
supoitoスポイトspuitsyringeCognate with English '.
tarumomētoruタルモメートルthermometerthermometerFrom French, through Dutch. After 1720. Now obsolete; replaced by.
teresukoppuテレスコップtelescooptelescopeFrom Italian and Modern Latin, through Dutch. After 1720. Replaced by.
yojiumuヨジウムjodiumiodine
zukkuズックdoekcanvasCognate with English '.