Wasei-eigo: Japanese-made English

Wasei-eigo (和製英語, "Japan-made English") are katakana words built from English parts that English never put together. A サラリーマン (salaryman) is an office worker, スキンシップ (skinship) is physical affection, and a ペーパードライバー (paper driver) holds a license but never drives.

They're the ultimate false friends: they sound like vocabulary you already know, which is exactly why they trip up English speakers — and why Japanese speakers are often surprised these words don't work abroad. Some recombine English (ガソリンスタンド — "gasoline stand" — is a gas station), others drifted in meaning after borrowing (コンセント, an electrical outlet).

The list below is every word the dictionary marks as a Japanese coinage from foreign parts. Sort by frequency for the ones you'll meet in daily life first.