# ''Donkey Kong'' = ''stubborn monkey'' **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 17, 2003, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-stubborn-monkey/189201 "2003-07-17T18:27:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-stubborn-monkey/189201/1 "2003-07-17T18:27:55Z")
OK, there’s a guy who just broke a record number of points on one of the Donkey Kong games. A passing reference on some site mentioned that “it is roughly translated from Japanese meaning ‘stubborn monkey.’” Well, how close is it to some Japanese words approximating “stubborn monkey?” If it’s a rough translation, what does it literally mean? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-stubborn-monkey/189201/2 "2003-07-17T18:33:19Z")
It has long been rumored that a mistranslation of KING KONG led to the name becoming “Donkey Kong”. I have never heard the stubborn monkey spin (which Nintendo might push as an excuse). ---
**Author:** ![aaslatten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f14d63/32.png) [@aaslatten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aaslatten)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-stubborn-monkey/189201/3 "2003-07-17T18:36:15Z")
I’d always heard that it meant something more like “stupid monkey,” with the word “donkey” having nothing to do with the English word; rather, it’s an English spelling of a Japanese word that sounds similar. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-stubborn-monkey/189201/4 "2003-07-17T18:41:21Z")
Here’s Snope’s take on it: > **[Was the Name 'Donkey Kong' the Result of a Mistranslation?](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/donkey-kong-mistranslation/)** > > There are barrels of explanations for the unusual name of the classic arcade game that launched the Mario franchise. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-stubborn-monkey/189201/5 "2003-07-17T18:46:00Z")
I also just read that story on CNN and was surprised by the translation. One thought I had was that the donkey is considered to be a stubborn animal, and the King Kong reference could relate to “Ape” or “Monkey”. So maybe it’s not Japanese at all??? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-stubborn-monkey/189201/6 "2003-07-17T18:49:27Z")
Well Game Spots’ in depth history of the game says the Japanese creator wanted to call Kong stubborn monkey…so a stubborn animal, a donkey, was chosen. Donkey Kong is a decent translation, but it’s almost unfair to call it a ‘translation’. Really, it’s a title that is meant to convey the creator’s idea of a stobborn monkey to American gamers. Nevermind that he is not a monkey. search at [www.gamespot.com](http://www.gamespot.com) donkey kong history ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-stubborn-monkey/189201/7 "2003-07-17T19:45:46Z")
I read an interview with Shigeru Miyamoto in Total! (old Brit Nintendo mag) and he was adamant that he’d meant for it to be called Monkey Kong, and NoA has mishead him. ---
**Author:** ![j.c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@j.c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j.c)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/donkey-kong-stubborn-monkey/189201/8 "2003-07-18T02:10:32Z")
So, Shigeru Miyamoto is claiming there was just the one exchange and the name of the game was set in stone… Sounds unlikely.