# Japanese Star Wars Language Question:  How does Yoda speak in Japanese?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-star-wars-language-question-how-does-yoda-speak-in-japanese/536326>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 16, 2010, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-star-wars-language-question-how-does-yoda-speak-in-japanese/536326 "2010-04-16T10:27:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-star-wars-language-question-how-does-yoda-speak-in-japanese/536326/1 "2010-04-16T10:27:26Z")

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In English, Yoda usually uses inverted syntax. Flexible, English is. Strict syntax rules, it need follow not.

Japanese to me seems to be a different story. The sentences seem to always have the verb at the end. Most sentences seem to follow pretty strict patterns. Interestingly enough, Yoda often speaks English with word order quite similar to Japanese.

So my question here is two-fold. One, since Yoda speaks inverted English, is his Japanese also inverted? If so, given the strict SOV (subject object verb) word order of Japanese, how do the dubs/subs achieve such a dialect?

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**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-star-wars-language-question-how-does-yoda-speak-in-japanese/536326/2 "2010-04-16T10:35:39Z")

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I’ve seen snippets of Yoda’s parts in the Japanese dub, and unfortunately, he speaks perfectly well formed Japanese. I can’t find a video, so no direct cite.

> **[Star Wars quotes in Japanese | nihonshock](http://nihonshock.com/2009/12/star-wars-quotes-in-japanese/)**
>
> A collection of famous Star Wars quotes with their Japanese subtitle and dub-over translations. May the force be with you.

Seems to back me up though.

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**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2010, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-star-wars-language-question-how-does-yoda-speak-in-japanese/536326/3 "2010-04-16T10:46:07Z")

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An accurate response to a semi-esoteric question in 8 minutes. Gotta love this place. Thanks **Jragon**.