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You need more Japanese characters than English words to say the same thing.

Japanese to English translation ratios

The number of Japanese characters which are required to represent the equivalent number of English words can differ significantly. As a general rule, you need more Japanese characters than English words to say the same thing.

Exactly how many more depends upon on the type of text being translated. The following ratios apply.

  • General material: Such as newspaper articles and novels. Around 2.2 times more Japanese characters than English words.

  • Material containing words with no direct Japanese equivalents: Such as articles on video games and chemical patents. Around 3.0 times more Japanese characters than English words. The ratio is higher due to the need for a high proportion of Katakana.

  • Material consisting mainly of words with direct Japanese equivalents: Such as classical Japanese literature. Around 1.7 times more Japanese characters than English words.

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