# Japanese phrases(rambling?) that Amy from Futurama says **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 2, 2004, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-phrases-rambling-that-amy-from-futurama-says/243086 "2004-05-02T01:52:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![teemingONE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@teemingONE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teemingONE)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-phrases-rambling-that-amy-from-futurama-says/243086/1 "2004-05-02T01:52:43Z")
She has this one phrase that she repeats when she’s mad, Bender repeated it mockingly once I think. Anyone know what she’s saying? ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-phrases-rambling-that-amy-from-futurama-says/243086/2 "2004-05-02T02:23:27Z")
It sounds like “Saat say nay” in bad Cantonese. The literal translation is “kill dead you.” ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-phrases-rambling-that-amy-from-futurama-says/243086/3 "2004-05-02T02:35:04Z")
Just a note. As yoyo mentioned, it’s Chinese (don’t know which dialect…I’ll take yoyo’s word that it’s Cantonese), not Japanese. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-phrases-rambling-that-amy-from-futurama-says/243086/4 "2004-05-02T15:57:12Z")
Bad Cantonese? But the voice of Amy IS Cantonese, according to the DVD commentaries. And she’d kinda cute too. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2004, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-phrases-rambling-that-amy-from-futurama-says/243086/5 "2004-05-02T16:07:05Z")
The writers, however, probably aren’t Cantonese. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-phrases-rambling-that-amy-from-futurama-says/243086/6 "2004-05-03T01:04:26Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > The writers, however, probably aren’t Cantonese. But on the DVD commentary it mentions that she came up with these lines herself and that they actually are real Cantonese, if that’s what we’re agreeing it is. ANd, upon reviewing an episode (“The Series has Landed”), I think what she says is closer to “Dat Da Nay” ---
**Author:** ![teemingONE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@teemingONE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teemingONE)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-phrases-rambling-that-amy-from-futurama-says/243086/7 "2004-05-03T02:46:47Z")
Thats the one where Bender mimicks her right? ( I had a good reason for thinking she was Japanese, I forget the reason though) ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-phrases-rambling-that-amy-from-futurama-says/243086/8 "2004-05-03T11:11:53Z")
> [@teemingONE](#): > > ( I had a good reason for thinking she was Japanese, I forget the reason though) Actually, she’s from Mars. I had always thought Japanese too, and I know the reason why I thought this: Her last name is Wong. I’ve known a few Wongs and they’ve all been Japanese. Are there many family names shared by the Japanese and Cantonese languages? Anyone know if Wong can also be a Cantonese name? My suspicion is that the character was created as being Japanese but when it came for casting they just looked for an Asian actress rather than looking specifically for a Japanese actress. As the actress turned out to be Chinese they just allowed her to throw in any “Asian-speak” she could contribute so as to spice things up. > [@Max Carnage](#): > > But the voice of Amy IS Cantonese, according to the DVD commentaries. And she’d kinda cute too. I’ve never seen the actress, but the cartoon Amy has given me wet dreams on more than one occasion. (I can’t answer the OP, but I thought it would be appropriate for my sig line to appear in this Thread!) ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-phrases-rambling-that-amy-from-futurama-says/243086/9 "2004-05-03T11:38:11Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > Actually, she’s from Mars. > > I had always thought Japanese too, and I know the reason why I thought this: Her last name is Wong. I’ve known a few Wongs and they’ve all been Japanese. > > Are there many family names shared by the Japanese and Cantonese languages? > Anyone know if Wong can also be a Cantonese name? AFAIK, Wong is an exclusive Chinese surname. I don’t think you can even get “Wong” in Japanese… ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-phrases-rambling-that-amy-from-futurama-says/243086/10 "2004-05-03T12:10:37Z")
Well, I’m not studied on this and have no expert analysis to offer. The Wongs I knew (unrelated, from two different families, two different parts of the U.S.) were Japanese, Catholic, and children of immigrants. Anybody with a Linguistics background who can provide any studied insight? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-phrases-rambling-that-amy-from-futurama-says/243086/11 "2004-05-03T12:28:31Z")
“Wong” is an exclusively Chinese name. Japanese names wioll always have more syllables. (sp?) ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-phrases-rambling-that-amy-from-futurama-says/243086/12 "2004-05-03T12:31:27Z")
No background here, but [Wikipeida](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang) says that Oh or O is the Japanese equivalent of Wang or Wong. It’s not a very common name, and it’s found mostly among people with Japanese ancestry. Perhaps the Wongs you knew were either Chinese-via-Japan, or changed their surname of Oh to its Chinese equivalent since Wong seems to be more common in America. ---
**Author:** ![sugaree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@sugaree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugaree)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-phrases-rambling-that-amy-from-futurama-says/243086/13 "2004-05-03T12:32:54Z")
> [@sugaree](#): > > No background here, but [Wikipeida](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wang) says that Oh or O is the Japanese equivalent of Wang or Wong. It’s not a very common name, and it’s found mostly among people with Japanese ancestry. Shoot! I meant to say that the name Oh is found mostly among Japanese people with _Chinese_ ancestry. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-phrases-rambling-that-amy-from-futurama-says/243086/14 "2004-05-03T12:44:04Z")
Wow! Lot’s of independant confirmation! Of the Wongs in question, I’m still in touch with one of them. I’ll have ask her about this. If it turns out she’s got Chinese ancestry, I’ll be more careful about leaving an unguarded Coke with her. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-phrases-rambling-that-amy-from-futurama-says/243086/15 "2004-05-03T12:51:40Z")
**Wait a minute!!!** > [@Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor](#): > > Japanese names will always have more syllables. (sp?) [QUOTE=sugaree] Oh or O is the Japanese equivalent of Wang or Wong. [QUOTE] Anybody able to take a stab at reconciling these two statements? ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-phrases-rambling-that-amy-from-futurama-says/243086/16 "2004-05-03T13:14:56Z")
Simply, Bosda’s comment is hyperbole. Most native Japanese names will be 2 or more syllables, but monosyllabic family names aren’t unknown. ‘Jo’ for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-phrases-rambling-that-amy-from-futurama-says/243086/17 "2004-05-03T14:16:51Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > Wow! Lot’s of independant confirmation! > > Of the Wongs in question, I’m still in touch with one of them. I’ll have ask her about this. If it turns out she’s got Chinese ancestry, I’ll be more careful about leaving an unguarded Coke with her. Speaking of Coke, I just Danny Thomased mine all over my screen 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mearl\_Dox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@Mearl\_Dox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mearl_Dox)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-phrases-rambling-that-amy-from-futurama-says/243086/18 "2004-05-03T15:12:35Z")
Still, you can’t make “Wong” with the Japanese language–can’t end with the “g” sound, it’d need to be Won or Wongu or something. Ou/Oh/O and Wang both mean “King,” in Japanese and in Chinese. Can’t promise that’s the character used in the common name, though. And not sure about Wong. I only know from trying to connect some Chinese and Japanese tellings of legends together. ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-phrases-rambling-that-amy-from-futurama-says/243086/19 "2004-05-03T16:38:59Z")
> [@Mearl Dox](#): > > Still, you can’t make “Wong” with the Japanese language–can’t end with the “g” sound, it’d need to be Won or Wongu or something. > > Ou/Oh/O and Wang both mean “King,” in Japanese and in Chinese. Can’t promise that’s the character used in the common name, though. And not sure about Wong. I only know from trying to connect some Chinese and Japanese tellings of legends together. Also, AFAIK, the “wo” character is used only as a particle, and never as part of a word proper? ---
**Author:** ![Epimetheus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c4cdca/32.png) [@Epimetheus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Epimetheus)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2004, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-phrases-rambling-that-amy-from-futurama-says/243086/20 "2004-05-03T16:48:54Z")
I don’t see anywhere else this was added so I though I would throw in a link: [Here](http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/DetailsServlet/epid-0/showid-0/personid-1707/moduleid-38) is a biography of Lauren Tom. Apparently she was raised in Illinois in a largely Jewish neighborhood, so it is likely that her Cantonese is corrupt or just poor. She is [cute](http://starbulletin.com/97/06/05/features/psycho.gif) though. Definately [cute](http://images.ibsys.com/sh/images/Screengrabs/laurentom.jpg).