{"id":45,"date":"2025-07-01T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-01T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.engoo.com\/tutors-blog\/?p=45"},"modified":"2025-07-01T01:00:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-01T01:00:09","slug":"safety-country-and-other-funny-english","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/vocab-expressions\/safety-country-and-other-funny-english\/","title":{"rendered":"\"Safety Country\"? \"Hand Phone\"? \"Fighting\"? \u2014 Unusual Phrases Our Students Use and Why"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_80 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/vocab-expressions\/safety-country-and-other-funny-english\/#What_Are_Loanwords\" >What Are Loanwords?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/vocab-expressions\/safety-country-and-other-funny-english\/#Loanwords_That_Changed_in_Meaning\" >Loanwords That Changed in Meaning<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/vocab-expressions\/safety-country-and-other-funny-english\/#Loanwords_That_Were_Shortened\" >Loanwords That Were Shortened<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/vocab-expressions\/safety-country-and-other-funny-english\/#Uncommon_or_Outdated_Words\" >Uncommon or Outdated Words<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/vocab-expressions\/safety-country-and-other-funny-english\/#False_Loanwords\" >False Loanwords<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/vocab-expressions\/safety-country-and-other-funny-english\/#How_to_Point_Out_Loanword_Errors\" >How to Point Out Loanword Errors<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/tutor.engoo.com\/blog\/vocab-expressions\/safety-country-and-other-funny-english\/#%F0%9F%91%8B_Thats_it_for_now\" >\ud83d\udc4b That\u2019s it for now!<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>\u201cJapan is a safety country.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve taught English to Japanese students, you\u2019ve probably heard \u201csafety\u201d used this way. But why is this such a common mistake? And why is it so difficult for students to correct?<\/p>\n<p>The root of this problem is loanwords.<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Are_Loanwords\"><\/span>What Are Loanwords?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>Loanwords are words that were borrowed from other languages. For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/forvo.com\/word\/%E3%83%81%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BA\/#ja\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the word for \u201ccheese\u201d in Japanese is ch\u012b-zu<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/forvo.com\/word\/%E3%82%B3%E3%83%B3%E3%83%94%E3%83%A5%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BF%E3%83%BC\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the word for \u201ccomputer\u201d is kon-py\u016b-t\u0101<\/a>. As you can imagine, having \u201ccheese\u201d and \u201ccomputer\u201d in their vocabulary helps Japanese students learn English.<\/p>\n<p>However, many words changed when they became loanwords. For instance, \u201csafety\u201d entered the Japanese language in expressions like \u201csafety belt,\u201d which then led to other similar Japanese-English expressions, like \u201csafety driving\u201d and \u201csafety country.\u201d<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-262\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/23041241\/safety-country.png\" alt=\"safety driving safety country Japanese English Japanglish\" width=\"952\" height=\"469\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/23041241\/safety-country.png 952w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/23041241\/safety-country-300x148.png 300w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/23041241\/safety-country-768x378.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 952px) 100vw, 952px\" \/><br \/>\nSo let\u2019s talk about the different types of loanwords, how they affect learners from Japan, South Korea and Taiwan (home to many of our students), and how we should point them out!<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Loanwords_That_Changed_in_Meaning\"><\/span>Loanwords That Changed in Meaning<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>If you\u2019ve ever heard a Taiwanese student say, \u201cI\u2019m so high!\u201d you\u2019re witnessing a loanword that gained a new meaning. Your student isn\u2019t saying, \u201cI\u2019m high on drugs.\u201d They simply mean that they\u2019re excited.<\/p>\n<p>Some words have changed so much that they've become unrecognizable. For example, you might have heard a Japanese person say \u201crevenge\u201d when they mean \u201ctry again.\u201d Your student might say, \u201cI\u2019m going to revenge my driving exam,\u201d meaning, \u201cI\u2019m going to give it another try!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Here are some other loanwords your Japanese students might say:<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-81\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17083922\/BLOGOnepiece-Mansion-Tension.png\" alt=\"Onepiece Mansion Tension Japanese English Japanglish\" width=\"761\" height=\"667\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17083922\/BLOGOnepiece-Mansion-Tension.png 761w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17083922\/BLOGOnepiece-Mansion-Tension-300x263.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 761px) 100vw, 761px\" \/><br \/>\nAnother loanword that is now used in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan is \u201cfight\u201d or \u201cfighting,\u201d neither of which refer to any sort of physical aggression. Rather, these words are used to wish someone good luck: \u201cYou have a test tomorrow? Fighting!\u201d<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Loanwords_That_Were_Shortened\"><\/span>Loanwords That Were Shortened<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>Just as English speakers shorten long words like \u201crefrigerator\u201d to \u201cfridge,\u201d speakers of other languages also shorten English loanwords. A famous example is the Japanese word <em>kosupure<\/em> (\u201ccosplay\u201d), which is a shortened form of \u201ccostume play.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, many shortened loanwords have become unrecognizable to English speakers. Here are some more examples from Japanese:<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-82\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17083955\/BLOGremocon-Sekuhara-Cosupah.png\" alt=\"Remote Control Sexual Harrassment Coslay Japanese English\" width=\"640\" height=\"466\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17083955\/BLOGremocon-Sekuhara-Cosupah.png 903w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17083955\/BLOGremocon-Sekuhara-Cosupah-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17083955\/BLOGremocon-Sekuhara-Cosupah-768x560.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Uncommon_or_Outdated_Words\"><\/span>Uncommon or Outdated Words<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>Another type of loanword you may encounter is the kind that is uncommon or outdated in the source language but still used by speakers of other languages.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, you may have heard a Japanese student say that they bought a <em>paso-kon<\/em> or \u201cpersonal computer.\u201d In English, we would just say, \u201cI bought a computer,\u201d since it\u2019s obvious that we bought a personal computer (not a giant supercomputer that most of us cannot afford anyway). Yet, the term \u201cpersonal computer\u201d stuck in Japanese!<\/p>\n<p>Here are some more examples of loanwords that are now uncommon or outdated in English:<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-80\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17083900\/BLOGHotchkiss-Consent-PET.png\" alt=\"Stapler Electric Outlet Japanese English Japanglish\" width=\"640\" height=\"562\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17083900\/BLOGHotchkiss-Consent-PET.png 765w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17083900\/BLOGHotchkiss-Consent-PET-300x264.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"False_Loanwords\"><\/span>False Loanwords<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>Finally, there are false loanwords that sound like English but aren\u2019t real English words at all.<\/p>\n<p>You may have heard South Korean students say \u201chand phone\u201d instead of \"cell phone\" or \u201cmart\u201d instead of \"supermarket.\" Or maybe you've heard a Taiwanese student use \u201c3C\u201d to mean \"electronic devices.\"<\/p>\n<p>These are all terms that don't exist in mainstream English. However, your students won\u2019t know that!<\/p>\n<p>Here are some examples from Japanese:<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-79\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17083839\/BLOGFriedPotato-SalaryMan-Live.png\" alt=\"Fried Potato French Fries Salaryman Live Concert Japanese English Japanglish\" width=\"810\" height=\"668\" srcset=\"https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17083839\/BLOGFriedPotato-SalaryMan-Live.png 810w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17083839\/BLOGFriedPotato-SalaryMan-Live-300x247.png 300w, https:\/\/assets.blog.engoo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2019\/04\/17083839\/BLOGFriedPotato-SalaryMan-Live-768x633.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px\" \/><\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Point_Out_Loanword_Errors\"><\/span>How to Point Out Loanword Errors<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>One challenge with correcting loanword mistakes is that students usually believe that these words are mainstream English. So it doesn\u2019t matter how many times we say, \u201c'Safety' is a noun, not an adjective. Say \u2018safe country,\u2019 not \u2018safety country.'\u201d They won\u2019t get it.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, it\u2019s more helpful to recognize that students may be using a word correctly by <em>their<\/em> country\u2019s standards of English, but not by the standards of mainstream English. In other words, instead of saying \u201cThat isn\u2019t English,\u201d we can say, \u201cThat may be correct in Japanese\/Korean\/Taiwanese English, but will confuse other English speakers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>For example, if a student says, \u201cI want to revenge my driving exam,\u201d we may not want to immediately say, \u201c\u2018Revenge\u2019 is incorrect. You mean \u2018try again.\u2019\u201d Instead, we can say, \u201c\u2018Revenge an exam\u2019 is OK in Japanese English, but people outside of Japan won\u2019t understand it. Instead, we should say, \u2018I want to take the exam again.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%F0%9F%91%8B_Thats_it_for_now\"><\/span>\ud83d\udc4b That\u2019s it for now!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>Hopefully this has given you an idea of the many ways that loanwords affect our students and how to delicately bring up the issue.<\/p>\n<p>Once students realize that every \"English\" word from their language may not actually be understandable outside of their country, they're likely to think of other potentially tricky words \u2014 which should make for an interesting (and possibly amusing!) topic of conversation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cJapan is a safety country.\u201d If you\u2019ve taught English to Japanese students, you\u2019ve probably heard \u201csafety\u201d used this way. But why is this such a common mistake? And why is it so difficult for students...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":137,"featured_media":6699,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"unified_meta_tagline_field":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[35,34,32],"class_list":["post-45","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-vocab-expressions","tag-common-mistakes-and-how-to-correct-them","tag-east-asian-englishes","tag-loanwords"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>&quot;Safety Country&quot;? &quot;Hand Phone&quot;? &quot;Fighting&quot;? \u2014 Unusual Phrases Our Students Use and Why | Engoo Tutor&#039;s Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Many English words have made their way into the languages our students speak natively. 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