Meaning

Primary

Southern Barbarians

Alternative

Nanban

Word Type

noun

Explanation

From the south come the barbarians known as… the southern barbarians.

A long time ago this word referred to the peoples of Southeast Asia, but when European traders arrived in the south of Japan in the 1500s, they were called 南蛮 too. They were the barbarians in the south, after all. Today this word mostly refers to nanban-style food named after those traders. (Think fried food and tartar sauce… Yum.)

Reading

なんばん
  • Kyoko
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

This is a jukugo word that uses the on'yomi readings of the kanji. You should be able to read this on your own.

Context

Context Sentences

チキン南蛮の簡単でおいしいレシピがあれば教えてください。

If you have a good, simple recipe for chicken nanban, please let me know.

Kanji Composition