# Japanese Term for Graffiti **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 15, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101 "2010-01-15T18:26:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101/1 "2010-01-15T18:26:49Z")
My Google-fu has failed me. What is the romanized Japanese word for graffiti? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101/2 "2010-01-15T18:30:40Z")
Rakugaki – my source is [落書き - Wiktionary, the free dictionary](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%90%BD%E6%9B%B8%E3%81%8D) ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101/3 "2010-01-15T18:31:55Z")
I’m guessing something like _gula fi ti eh_ ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101/4 "2010-01-15T18:34:40Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > I’m guessing something like _gula fi ti eh_ It would be something like that, except there’s a native word for it – 落書き. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101/5 "2010-01-15T18:50:11Z")
I’m not surprised; and yet, according to my wife (who speaks pretty good Japanese), that doesn’t necessarily mean anything – apparently it’s pretty trendy to use Engrish loan words for just about everything, isn’t it? ETA: That is, even when there’s a perfectly servicable Japanese word already. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101/6 "2010-01-15T18:56:24Z")
Yes, it’s very common for the Japanese to borrow, especially from English. I should add how I did the research for my answer. (1) I looked up the English Wikipedia page for “Grafffiti” – [Graffiti - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graffiti) (2) That is linked to the Japanese Wikipedia page on the same subject – [落書き - Wikipedia](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%90%BD%E6%9B%B8%E3%81%8D) (3) And I looked up 落書き in the Wiktionary to find the romaji. Wikipedia is a wonderful resource. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101/7 "2010-01-15T19:00:18Z")
I do the same to look up technical/financial terms in Chinese. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101/8 "2010-01-15T19:47:46Z")
Thx. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101/9 "2010-01-15T22:19:29Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > I’m guessing something like _gula fi ti eh_ Why are you answering in GQ when, it looks to me based on that stab at it, you don’t know Japanese? If you \*were \*going to write the English word graffiti in katakana, it would probably be something like グラフィティ \*gurafiti \*or グラフィティー _gurafitii_ (verified with a WWWJDIC search). Notes: the Japanese R, while it can sometimes sound like an L to an English speaker, is \*always \*written as an R when romanized; there is no “fi” so it’s written as \*fu \*+ small _i_; and there is no “ti,” so it’s written as \*te \*+ small _i_. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101/10 "2010-01-15T23:06:17Z")
> [@](#): > > Rakugaki – my source is [http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/��...9B�き](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%90...9B%B8%E3%81%8D) > [@](#): > > It would be something like that, except there’s a native word for it – 落書き. Wait, doesn’t each character stand for a single syllable? How is it that “rakugaki” has four syllables, but “落書き” has only three characters? ---
**Author:** ![not\_alice](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_alice/32/7283_2.png) [@not\_alice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_alice)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2010, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101/11 "2010-01-15T23:10:17Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Wait, doesn’t each character stand for a single syllable? How is it that “rakugaki” has four syllables, but “落書き” has only three characters? Each kana character is one syllable, kanji are not subject to that restriction. ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101/12 "2010-01-16T01:03:21Z")
The first character of the three represents “raku”, the second is “ga”, and the third is “ki.” ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101/13 "2010-01-16T03:23:45Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Why are you answering in GQ when, it looks to me based on that stab at it, you don’t know Japanese? Why shouldn’t I? From my wife I’ve got some familiarity with how Japanese adopt & transliterate Engish words, even if the romaji is inexact. My Mandarin is very good, and yet if there’s a Chinese question & the first couple of responders make an educated guess before myself or China Guy deign to appear, it doesn’t get my panties in a twist. I wonder why that is? ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101/14 "2010-01-16T05:04:54Z")
On a related note, Japanese graffiti is generally piss-poor. You have some highly developed graphical styles and some great stylized art in the US, but here most of it is just barely at the level of clumsy tags. Kind of weird when brush calligraphy is so highly developed, but I guess that part of the rebellion is not learning from traditional art forms. Plus, it seems that between the regimented lifestyle most people — even kids — have and the bored cops policing everything, there aren’t many opportunities to practice and develop skills. As far as I know, graffiti never really caught on in Japan. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2010, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101/15 "2010-01-16T13:53:41Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Why are you answering in GQ when, it looks to me based on that stab at it, you don’t know Japanese? > > If you \*were \*going to write the English word graffiti in katakana, it would probably be something like グラフィティ \*gurafiti \*or グラフィティー _gurafitii_ (verified with a WWWJDIC search). Notes: the Japanese R, while it can sometimes sound like an L to an English speaker, is \*always \*written as an R when romanized; there is no “fi” so it’s written as \*fu \*+ small _i_; and there is no “ti,” so it’s written as \*te \*+ small _i_. It’s more commonly the former, without the longer sound on the end. The difference between グラフィティ _gurafiti \* and 落書き_rakugaji\* is that the later is commonly used to describe what bored Japanese kids do to deface surfaces, and the former is when someone gets inspired to copy the American style. There are specific places in Tokyo where graffiti is permitted. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101/16 "2010-01-18T16:35:43Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Wait, doesn’t each character stand for a single syllable? How is it that “rakugaki” has four syllables, but “落書き” has only three characters? To expand on what some other people have said: Japanese is written using three “alphabets” (none of which are actually alphabets). There are two syllabaries: katakana and hiragana. Those are the ones where each “letter” is a syllable (or [mora](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mora_(linguistics)), more technically speaking). Then there are kanji–the characters that were borrowed and adapted from Chinese. Each kana has exactly one pronunciation. However, each kanji has at least two, and they can have upwards of a dozen based on context. Some pronunciations will be one mora, and some will be more than that. For example, the kanji 生 generally means something along the lines of _life_. However, it’s the \*i \*in \*ikiru \*(生きる to live), the \*nama \*in \*namabiiru \*(生ビール draft beer), the \*u \*in \*umareru \*(生まれる to be born), the \*sei \*in \*daigakusei \*(大学生 university student), and quite a few more pronunciations besides. > [@Koxinga](#): > > Why shouldn’t I? From my wife I’ve got some familiarity with how Japanese adopt & transliterate Engish words, even if the romaji is inexact. Then… ask your wife and post what \*\*she \*\*suggests? ---
**Author:** ![nikonikosuru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5f8ce5/32.png) [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101/17 "2010-01-18T17:22:42Z")
I give Koxinga credit for making a good attempt, at least he doesn’t come off sounding pompous and condescending. ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101/18 "2010-01-18T19:52:24Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Then… ask your wife and post what \*\*she \*\*suggests? Which is exactly what I did. 屁股 活寶 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101/19 "2010-01-18T21:06:52Z")
Is there, then, a one-to-one correspondence between the katakana and the hiragana? What determines which of the two one would use, if they’re both syllabaries? And how may the writing systems be mixed: Is it permissible to write some words in one system, and some in another? Or even to write a single word with a mixture of the systems? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101/20 "2010-01-18T21:17:04Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Is there, then, a one-to-one correspondence between the katakana and the hiragana? There are some small mismatches, but generally, yes. > [@](#): > > What determines which of the two one would use, if they’re both syllabaries? Hiragana is used for native Japanese words, unless they are written in kanji (Chinese characters). Katakana is mainly used for words borrowed from other languages (except for very old borrowings from Chinese), and in manga for sound effects. > [@](#): > > And how may the writing systems be mixed: Is it permissible to write some words in one system, and some in another? Yes: it is common for one sentence to contain hiragana, katakana and kanji > [@](#): > > Or even to write a single word with a mixture of the systems? I’ve never seen one word written partly in katakana and partly in hiragana. However, it’s very common for one word to be in kanji and hiragana: 落書き is an example, because 落書 is kanji and き is hiragana. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/japanese-term-for-graffiti/525101.md?page=2)