Katakana Words List: 60 Common Loanwords (Reading Practice)

The short answer

Most katakana words come from English, but some from Portuguese, German, French or Dutch.
Japanese adds vowels between consonants: taxi → タクシー (ta-ku-shī).
Long vowels use ー: コーヒー, ケーキ.
Some “English” words were invented in Japan (wasei-eigo) and mean something different.

New to katakana? Start with the katakana chart, then come back here to practise.

Food and drink

コーヒーkōhī
coffee
ジュースjūsu
juice
ケーキkēki
cake
パンpan
bread (Portuguese pão)
チーズchīzu
cheese
サラダsarada
salad
スープsūpu
soup
ピザpiza
pizza
アイスクリームaisukurīmu
ice cream
チョコレートchokorēto
chocolate

Technology

スマホsumaho
smartphone
パソコンpasokon
computer (personal computer)
インターネットintānetto
internet
メールmēru
email
アプリapuri
app
パスワードpasuwādo
password
カメラkamera
camera
テレビterebi
TV
ゲームgēmu
game
ダウンロードdaunrōdo
download

City and travel

ホテルhoteru
hotel
タクシーtakushī
taxi
バスbasu
bus
レストランresutoran
restaurant
コンビニkonbini
convenience store
スーパーsūpā
supermarket
デパートdepāto
department store
エレベーターerebētā
elevator
トイレtoire
toilet
チケットchiketto
ticket

Everyday life

テーブルtēburu
table
ベッドbeddo
bed
シャワーshawā
shower
タオルtaoru
towel
ペンpen
pen
ノートnōto
notebook
スポーツsupōtsu
sports
ニュースnyūsu
news
プレゼントpurezento
present, gift
パーティーpātī
party

Not from English

Katakana	Reading	Meaning	From
パン	pan	bread	Portuguese
アルバイト	arubaito	part-time job	German
カルテ	karute	medical record	German
アンケート	ankēto	survey	French
ランドセル	randoseru	school backpack	Dutch
イクラ	ikura	salmon roe	Russian

Wasei-eigo: “English” made in Japan

These look like English but were created in Japan, and often mean something unexpected:

サラリーマンsararīman
salaried office worker
コンセントkonsento
power outlet
マンションmanshon
apartment building (not a mansion!)
ノートパソコンnōto pasokon
laptop
ペットボトルpetto botoru
plastic bottle (PET bottle)
ガソリンスタンドgasorin sutando
petrol station
ペーパードライバーpēpā doraibā
someone with a licence who never drives
マイペースmaipēsu
doing things at your own pace

How to decode katakana words

Read the sounds syllable by syllable: レ・ス・ト・ラ・ン.
Drop the extra vowels in your head: re-su-to-ran → restran.
Swap r and l if needed: ホテル hoteru → hotel.
Say it fast with English stress and the word usually pops out.

Shortened words

Japanese loves to shorten long loanwords to four syllables:

Short	Full	Meaning
スマホ	スマートフォン	smartphone
パソコン	パーソナルコンピューター	personal computer
エアコン	エアコンディショナー	air conditioner
コンビニ	コンビニエンスストア	convenience store
リモコン	リモートコントロール	remote control
デジカメ	デジタルカメラ	digital camera

Reading challenge

Can you read these before tapping? They’re all names of countries and cities, more in countries and languages in Japanese:

ニューヨークNyūyōku
New York
ロンドンRondon
London
パリPari
Paris
ベルリンBerurin
Berlin
シドニーShidonī
Sydney

Read it!0/3

What is タクシー?
What is コンセント in Japan?
What is アイスクリーム?

Frequently asked questions

What are katakana words?

Katakana words are mostly loanwords from other languages, especially English, such as コーヒー (coffee) and テレビ (TV). Some come from Portuguese, German, French or Dutch.

What is wasei-eigo?

和製英語 (wasei-eigo) are English-looking words created in Japan, like サラリーマン (salaryman) or コンセント (power outlet), which often don't exist in English with that meaning.

How can I practise reading katakana?

Read loanwords you already know, like menus, product names and signs. Guessing the English word from the sounds is great practice.

Why do Japanese shorten katakana words?

Long loanwords are often clipped to about four syllables for convenience: スマートフォン becomes スマホ, パーソナルコンピューター becomes パソコン.