Common Mistakes by Japanese Speakers - 日本人がよくやる英語の間違い
1. 日本語の直訳による間違い
「私は〜」の過剰使用
日本語では主語を省略するが、英語では必ず主語が必要。逆に、日本語の癖で "I" を多用しすぎることも。
- ✗ Yesterday I went to the store. I bought milk. I came home. I cooked dinner. I watched TV.
- ✓ Yesterday I went to the store and bought milk. After coming home, I cooked dinner and watched TV.
「〜と思う」→ I think の多用
- ✗ I think this restaurant is good. I think we should go there. I think it will be fun.
- ✓ This restaurant is great. We should go there — it'll be fun.
- 代替表現: I believe, I feel, I guess, In my opinion, It seems like
「頑張って」→ ✗ Do your best
- "Do your best" は英語では少し弱い/場違いなことも
- 状況別の自然な表現:
- Good luck! (幸運を!)
- You've got this! (大丈夫、できるよ!)
- Hang in there! (頑張れ! — 辛い時)
- Break a leg! (うまくいくように! — パフォーマンスの前)
- Go for it! (やっちゃえ!)
- Keep it up! (その調子!)
「お疲れ様」→ 直訳なし
- Good work today! / Great job! (仕事後)
- See you tomorrow! (帰る時)
- Thanks for your hard work! (感謝)
- You must be tired. (疲れたでしょう)
「よろしくお願いします」→ 直訳なし
- Nice to meet you. (初対面)
- I look forward to working with you. (仕事)
- Thank you in advance. (メール)
- I appreciate your help. (お願い時)
2. 文法の間違い
可算名詞 vs 不可算名詞
| 不可算 (uncountable) | 間違い | 正しい |
|---|---|---|
| information | ✗ informations | ✓ a piece of information |
| advice | ✗ advices | ✓ a piece of advice |
| furniture | ✗ furnitures | ✓ a piece of furniture |
| luggage/baggage | ✗ luggages | ✓ a piece of luggage |
| equipment | ✗ equipments | ✓ a piece of equipment |
| news | ✗ a news | ✓ a piece of news |
| homework | ✗ homeworks | ✓ homework (assignments) |
| research | ✗ researches | ✓ research (studies) |
| progress | ✗ progresses | ✓ progress |
| evidence | ✗ evidences | ✓ a piece of evidence |
| knowledge | ✗ knowledges | ✓ knowledge |
複数形の不規則
- ✗ childrens → ✓ children
- ✗ peoples → ✓ people (ただし「民族」の意味では peoples OK)
- ✗ fishes → ✓ fish (ただし種類を言う時は fishes OK)
- ✗ sheeps → ✓ sheep
- ✗ deers → ✓ deer
三単現の s 忘れ
- ✗ He go to school. → ✓ He goes to school.
- ✗ She have a cat. → ✓ She has a cat.
- ✗ It rain a lot here. → ✓ It rains a lot here.
時制の混乱
- ✗ I have been to Tokyo yesterday. → ✓ I went to Tokyo yesterday.
- ✗ I live here since 2020. → ✓ I have lived here since 2020.
- ✗ When I was child... → ✓ When I was a child...
3. 発音から来る間違い
L vs R
日本語にこの区別がないため最大の難関。 - light vs right - lead vs read - long vs wrong - play vs pray - fly vs fry - collect vs correct - glass vs grass - alive vs arrive
B vs V
- boat vs vote
- berry vs very
- base vs vase
- best vs vest
- ban vs van
TH の音
- ✗ I sink so. → ✓ I think so. (th ≠ s)
- ✗ Tree people → ✓ Three people (th ≠ t)
- ✗ Da book → ✓ The book (th ≠ d)
Silent letters
- know (k は無音)
- write (w は無音)
- doubt (b は無音)
- island (s は無音)
- psychology (p は無音)
- Wednesday (最初の d は無音)
- February (最初の r はほぼ無音)
4. 語順の間違い
形容詞の語順 (OSASCOMP)
Opinion → Size → Age → Shape → Color → Origin → Material → Purpose
- ✗ a red big car → ✓ a big red car
- ✗ a wooden old table → ✓ an old wooden table
- ✗ a Japanese beautiful garden → ✓ a beautiful Japanese garden
- a lovely little old rectangular green French silver whittling knife (極端な例)
副詞の位置
- ✗ I go always to the gym. → ✓ I always go to the gym.
- ✗ I eat usually breakfast. → ✓ I usually eat breakfast.
- ✗ She speaks very well English. → ✓ She speaks English very well.
間接疑問文の語順
- ✗ Do you know what time is it? → ✓ Do you know what time it is?
- ✗ I wonder where does she live. → ✓ I wonder where she lives.
- ✗ Can you tell me how much does it cost? → ✓ Can you tell me how much it costs?
5. 和製英語 (Wasei-eigo)
| 和製英語 | 正しい英語 | Note |
|---|---|---|
| サラリーマン | office worker, employee | salary man は通じない |
| OL | female office worker | OL は通じない |
| ノートパソコン | laptop | notebook computer は通じるがlaptopが普通 |
| コンセント | outlet, power socket | consent = 同意 |
| マンション | apartment, condo | mansion = 大邸宅 |
| クレーム | complaint | claim = 主張・請求 |
| テンション高い | excited, hyped, energetic | tension = 緊張 |
| スマート | slim, thin | smart = 賢い |
| ナイーブ | sensitive | naive = 世間知らず |
| カンニング | cheating | cunning = ずる賢い |
| バイキング | buffet | Viking = バイキング(人) |
| ペットボトル | plastic bottle | PET bottle は通じにくい |
| ガソリンスタンド | gas station (US), petrol station (UK) | |
| サイン | signature (署名), autograph (有名人) | sign = 看板・標識 |
| リフォーム | renovation | reform = 制度改革 |
| フリーサイズ | one size fits all | free size は通じない |
| タレント | celebrity, TV personality | talent = 才能 |
| アルバイト | part-time job | Arbeit はドイツ語 |
| フロント | reception, front desk | front = 前面 |
| モーニングサービス | breakfast special | morning service は通じない |
| キーホルダー | key chain, key ring | key holder は通じにくい |
| スキンシップ | physical affection, physical contact | skinship は通じない |
| ハイテンション | very excited, hyper | high tension = 高圧電流 |
6. よく混同する単語
| 間違い | 正しい使い分け |
|---|---|
| borrow vs lend | I borrow FROM you. / You lend TO me. |
| say vs tell | Say something. / Tell someone something. |
| hear vs listen | I hear music. (自然に聞こえる) / I listen to music. (意識的に聴く) |
| see vs watch vs look | See = 見える / Watch = 動くものを見る / Look at = 意識的に見る |
| teach vs learn | The teacher teaches. / The student learns. |
| raise vs rise | Raise = 他動詞(上げる) / Rise = 自動詞(上がる) |
| bring vs take | Bring here (持ってくる) / Take there (持っていく) |
| rob vs steal | Rob a person/place / Steal a thing |
| trip vs travel | Trip = 旅行(名詞) / Travel = 旅行する(動詞) |
| fun vs funny | Fun = 楽しい / Funny = おかしい |
| hard vs hardly | Hard = 一生懸命 / Hardly = ほとんど〜ない |
| late vs lately | Late = 遅い / Lately = 最近 |
| near vs nearly | Near = 近い / Nearly = ほぼ |
| economic vs economical | Economic = 経済の / Economical = 節約的な |
| historic vs historical | Historic = 歴史的に重要な / Historical = 歴史に関する |
| affect vs effect | Affect = 動詞(影響する) / Effect = 名詞(影響) |
| besides vs beside | Besides = 〜に加えて / Beside = 〜の横に |
7. 日本語的な丁寧さの間違い
過剰な丁寧さ
- ✗ Would you be so kind as to pass the salt? (日常では大げさ)
- ✓ Could you pass the salt, please?
断り方
- ✗ No. (ぶっきらぼう)
- ✓ I'm sorry, I can't. / I'd love to, but... / I'm afraid I can't.
- ✓ Thanks, but I'll pass. / Maybe next time.
Thank you への返答
- ✗ No, no, no. (日本的な謙遜)
- ✓ You're welcome. / No problem. / My pleasure. / Sure! / Of course! / Anytime!
すみません の使い分け
- 謝罪: I'm sorry. / My apologies.
- 呼びかけ: Excuse me. / Pardon me.
- 感謝: Thank you. (日本語の「すみません」は感謝の意味もある)
- 通り抜け: Excuse me. / Coming through.
8. その他のよくある間違い
almost vs most
- ✗ Almost people like music. → ✓ Most people like music.
- ✗ Almost of the students passed. → ✓ Most of the students passed.
- almost = ほとんど(副詞) / most = 大部分の(形容詞)
ago vs before
- ✗ I came here before 3 years. → ✓ I came here 3 years ago.
- ago = 今から〜前 / before = ある時点より前
too vs very
- ✗ The weather is too nice today! → ✓ The weather is very nice today!
- too = 〜すぎる(否定的ニュアンス) / very = とても
So do I vs Me too
- "I love sushi." → "So do I." (文法的) / "Me too." (口語OK)
- "I don't like natto." → "Neither do I." / "Me neither." (口語OK)
Practice: 間違いを直せ
- ✗ I went to shopping. → ✓ I went shopping. / I went to the store.
- ✗ She is married with a doctor. → ✓ She is married to a doctor.
- ✗ I could to finish it. → ✓ I could finish it.
- ✗ He explained me the problem. → ✓ He explained the problem to me.
- ✗ I'm looking forward to see you. → ✓ I'm looking forward to seeing you.
- ✗ Despite of the rain... → ✓ Despite the rain... / In spite of the rain...
- ✗ I suggest you to go. → ✓ I suggest you go. / I suggest going.
- ✗ Can you borrow me your pen? → ✓ Can you lend me your pen?
- ✗ I've been to abroad. → ✓ I've been abroad. (to は不要)
- ✗ It's very delicious! → ✓ It's absolutely delicious! / It's really delicious!