This is a glossary of frequently mistranslated words in JAV titles, compiled with help in this thread from the community. If you have questions about words not covered in this glossary, post them here, and it will be added to the glossary once solved. Some of these are mistranslations, others are where the auto-translators did not translate the word at all, giving you a transliteration instead. Still others may be "correct" translations but the English word is not a word English speakers would use in that context.
Absolute Area / Absolute Territory (絶対領域, "zettai ryōiki") - the area between the tops of thigh high stockings or socks and the hemline of a miniskirt (upper thighs).
Acme (アクメ) - in English it means 'pinnacle' or 'peak.' In a JAV title, it means "orgasm."
Apricot (杏) - likely a mistranslation of a character in someone's name. For example, popular JAV star Anri Okita's name 沖田杏梨 contains the characters for both apricot and pear. So her titles often contain "pear apricot" or "apricot pear" instead of her name.
Bank (土手) a woman's pubic mound.
Barre: to discover or find out. Often appears in titles in the negative, e.g. "so as not to barre" meaning something is being concealed.
Bing or Bing Bing: when used in conjunction with "nipple," it means "hard," as in hard or erect nipples.
Black gal - a tan "gal." See the entry for "gal."
Chestnut クリトリス (kuritorisu): a clitoris. If "chestnut" appears with "squirrel" the two together mean clitoris. If "chestnut" appears without "squirrel," it's just a shortened form analogous to "clit." If "squirrel" appears without "chestnut," it is an entirely different Japanese word being mistranslated. For that, see the entry for "squirrel."
Chewy (シコシコ shikoshiko): if its a noodle, it means chewy. If it's a penis, it means jerking it off. In JAV titles, it means the latter.
Crab - may be a mistranslation, or bad translation, of more than one Japanese word. Is used where "crab" is appropriate but only in a non-literal sense. So "crab scissors" will refer to someone caught between someone's legs. Another use might refer to someone who crawls like a crab does.
Deca: large.
Decachin (デカチン Dekachin) - a large penis.
Deriheru - An abbreviation of "delivery health", which in Japanese is a euphemism for call girl services. It's a prostitute who visits you at a hotel or, more rarely, at your home. Sometimes the words "delivery health" appear in the title instead. It means the same thing.
Devil/little devil/small devil - mischievous or conniving. When used in conjunction with "small" or "little," often refers to a slutty and either mischievous or insidious school girl.
Dosukebe - a word that has been transliterated rather than translated. It means "dirty."
DQN: stupid, uncultured, or socially inferior
Gal - while "gal" is a somewhat archaic word in English that simply means girl or woman, the word has been taken up by the Japanese who have given it a more specific meaning. It means a party girl, often one who wears lots of makeup, and is also often blonde or red headed, and with a promiscuous lifestyle. Many are also notably tan, i.e. "black gal." They appear to be emulating a more western persona in these roles. Some stars like Aika seem to be typecast in "gal" roles. In addition to its appearance in various JAV titles, "gal" is also a genre tag at javlibrary.
Gravure - a photographic model who does sexy and suggestive poses, without nudity. When this word is used, they are likely either identifying the actress as a former gravure model, or saying she looks like one. Some may believe the beauty standard is higher for a gravure model, so it is likely meant to emphasize the sexiness of the actress.
Harlem - (ハーレム), the correct word is harem.
Heal/healing - see Deriheru and "delivery health" for another variant of the same concept. Alleviating sexual tension is considered a form of healing. Also has a connotation of relaxation, but in the context of sexual services.
Hen (女教師編) - where used in JAV titles, it appears to be a mistranslation of a word meaning "edition" or "episode."
Intercrural - a legitimate translation to an obscure English word that means "between the legs."
Irama - a shortened version of "irrumatio," a form of blowjob where the penis is thrust into the woman's mouth. Contra of "fellatio," where the woman controls the depth and speed.
Lori: a "loli." Short for Lolita, referring to a young, or in the case of JAV, a young looking actress.
M - masochism, masochist, masochistic.
Manbira: Labia.
Man Hair/Man Haired (マン毛): a woman's pubic mound.
Mara - a penis. The word has a connotation of "large" but does not necessarily mean large. It is most often, but not always, used in interracial titles. A "big black mara" is a BBC.
Meat urinal - the closest analog is "cum toilet." A woman who is used, and often abused, typically by multiple men.
Muchimuchi - a curvaceous or voluptuous woman. This one is easy to remember - just think "muchomucho" or just the root word "much."
Nakadashi (中出し)- ejaculation in the vagina, i.e. a creampie.
NTR (netorare/寝取られ) - a scenario where a man loses his wife/girlfriend due to infidentelity and/or coercion.
Panchira: showing a glimpse of panties, whether intended or not. It usually refers to upskirt tease.
Pear (梨)- likely a mistranslation of a character in someone's name. For example, popular JAV star Anri Okita's name 沖田杏梨 contains the characters for both apricot and pear. So her titles often contain "pear apricot" or "apricot pear" instead of her name.
Peniban - a contraction of "penis band", which means a strap-on dildo.
Phimosis - Medical condition where the head of the penis is partially or fully covered by the foreskin even when erect. In JAV, you cannot see whether the man has this condition or not through the mosaic, so its inclusion in hundreds of JAV titles probably means this condition is discussed in dialogue and is part of the storyline.
Pickled (漬け) - as with how pickles are made, it means "soaked in." Often used in the context of drugs, the most common being the word "aphrodisiac" in conjunction with "pickled" would mean "soaked in aphrodisiacs." Which probably is not meant in a literal sense.
Piston - as you may have guessed, it means vigorous, hard pounding intercourse.
Pita, Pitapan or Pita Bread (ピタ or ピタッ) - tight clothing. Often, but not always, used in conjunction with "ass," and in that case usually means tight pants or shorts are featured.
Po - A penis. Occurs when the Japanese title censors the word [chinpo] for 'penis' by putting a blank or circle between letters as such: チ〇ポ.
S - sadism, sadist, or sadistic.
S-Class - superior, superlative or special "class." Top tier quality.
Saddle(ハメ) [hame] - like "squirrel" this appears to be a mistranslation of hame - a verb meaning "to insert."
Saffle (セフレ) - a sex friend, friend with benefits, booty call, or fuck buddy.
Shrimp Warp - the arching of a woman's back, particularly during orgasm.
Soap or Soapland- a soapland is a Japanese bathhouse where women wash men. In some cases, it may be a prostitution service, much like some massage parlors. In JAV, "soap" can be a generic reference to prostitution, and bathhouses or actual washing may or may not be present.
Soft Body (軟体 nantai): limber, flexible. Like a girl who can put her feet up behind her head when getting eaten out.
Squid (ikaseru) - to cum. Often comes out as the girls being "made squid" meaning they are made to cum.
Squirrel (ハメ) [hame] - like "saddle" this appears to be a mistranslation of hame - a verb meaning "to insert."
Sukesuke - this means the title features see-through clothing.
Subjective/subjectivity (主観): point-of-view (POV). This appears not only in titles but is also a genre tag.
Transcendental - a not ideal translation of a Japanese word which means so superlative as to be beyond description. Mind blowing.
Tsundere (ツンデレ) This is a transliteration of a Japanese term for a character development process that describes a person who is initially cold (and sometimes even hostile) before gradually showing a warmer, friendlier side over time. In JAV the most likely meaning is someone who starts off cold then warms up, i.e. becomes more willing to have sex. Also a genre tag at javlibrary.
Unequaled (zetsurin 絶倫) - insatiable.
Yankee (yankii) - usually a transliteration of the word "yankii" which means a young criminal, gang member, or thug. Can be male or female. Rarely this might be a mistranslation of "meriken" meaning "American" i.e. yankee. It may be the case if there is a white actress in the title.
Zubozubo (ズボズボ ): jamming something inside. "Zubozubo" is onomatopoeia for "in out."
Absolute Area / Absolute Territory (絶対領域, "zettai ryōiki") - the area between the tops of thigh high stockings or socks and the hemline of a miniskirt (upper thighs).
Acme (アクメ) - in English it means 'pinnacle' or 'peak.' In a JAV title, it means "orgasm."
Apricot (杏) - likely a mistranslation of a character in someone's name. For example, popular JAV star Anri Okita's name 沖田杏梨 contains the characters for both apricot and pear. So her titles often contain "pear apricot" or "apricot pear" instead of her name.
Bank (土手) a woman's pubic mound.
Barre: to discover or find out. Often appears in titles in the negative, e.g. "so as not to barre" meaning something is being concealed.
Bing or Bing Bing: when used in conjunction with "nipple," it means "hard," as in hard or erect nipples.
Black gal - a tan "gal." See the entry for "gal."
Chestnut クリトリス (kuritorisu): a clitoris. If "chestnut" appears with "squirrel" the two together mean clitoris. If "chestnut" appears without "squirrel," it's just a shortened form analogous to "clit." If "squirrel" appears without "chestnut," it is an entirely different Japanese word being mistranslated. For that, see the entry for "squirrel."
Chewy (シコシコ shikoshiko): if its a noodle, it means chewy. If it's a penis, it means jerking it off. In JAV titles, it means the latter.
Crab - may be a mistranslation, or bad translation, of more than one Japanese word. Is used where "crab" is appropriate but only in a non-literal sense. So "crab scissors" will refer to someone caught between someone's legs. Another use might refer to someone who crawls like a crab does.
Deca: large.
Decachin (デカチン Dekachin) - a large penis.
Deriheru - An abbreviation of "delivery health", which in Japanese is a euphemism for call girl services. It's a prostitute who visits you at a hotel or, more rarely, at your home. Sometimes the words "delivery health" appear in the title instead. It means the same thing.
Devil/little devil/small devil - mischievous or conniving. When used in conjunction with "small" or "little," often refers to a slutty and either mischievous or insidious school girl.
Dosukebe - a word that has been transliterated rather than translated. It means "dirty."
DQN: stupid, uncultured, or socially inferior
Gal - while "gal" is a somewhat archaic word in English that simply means girl or woman, the word has been taken up by the Japanese who have given it a more specific meaning. It means a party girl, often one who wears lots of makeup, and is also often blonde or red headed, and with a promiscuous lifestyle. Many are also notably tan, i.e. "black gal." They appear to be emulating a more western persona in these roles. Some stars like Aika seem to be typecast in "gal" roles. In addition to its appearance in various JAV titles, "gal" is also a genre tag at javlibrary.
Gravure - a photographic model who does sexy and suggestive poses, without nudity. When this word is used, they are likely either identifying the actress as a former gravure model, or saying she looks like one. Some may believe the beauty standard is higher for a gravure model, so it is likely meant to emphasize the sexiness of the actress.
Harlem - (ハーレム), the correct word is harem.
Heal/healing - see Deriheru and "delivery health" for another variant of the same concept. Alleviating sexual tension is considered a form of healing. Also has a connotation of relaxation, but in the context of sexual services.
Hen (女教師編) - where used in JAV titles, it appears to be a mistranslation of a word meaning "edition" or "episode."
Intercrural - a legitimate translation to an obscure English word that means "between the legs."
Irama - a shortened version of "irrumatio," a form of blowjob where the penis is thrust into the woman's mouth. Contra of "fellatio," where the woman controls the depth and speed.
Lori: a "loli." Short for Lolita, referring to a young, or in the case of JAV, a young looking actress.
M - masochism, masochist, masochistic.
Manbira: Labia.
Man Hair/Man Haired (マン毛): a woman's pubic mound.
Mara - a penis. The word has a connotation of "large" but does not necessarily mean large. It is most often, but not always, used in interracial titles. A "big black mara" is a BBC.
Meat urinal - the closest analog is "cum toilet." A woman who is used, and often abused, typically by multiple men.
Muchimuchi - a curvaceous or voluptuous woman. This one is easy to remember - just think "muchomucho" or just the root word "much."
Nakadashi (中出し)- ejaculation in the vagina, i.e. a creampie.
NTR (netorare/寝取られ) - a scenario where a man loses his wife/girlfriend due to infidentelity and/or coercion.
Panchira: showing a glimpse of panties, whether intended or not. It usually refers to upskirt tease.
Pear (梨)- likely a mistranslation of a character in someone's name. For example, popular JAV star Anri Okita's name 沖田杏梨 contains the characters for both apricot and pear. So her titles often contain "pear apricot" or "apricot pear" instead of her name.
Peniban - a contraction of "penis band", which means a strap-on dildo.
Phimosis - Medical condition where the head of the penis is partially or fully covered by the foreskin even when erect. In JAV, you cannot see whether the man has this condition or not through the mosaic, so its inclusion in hundreds of JAV titles probably means this condition is discussed in dialogue and is part of the storyline.
Pickled (漬け) - as with how pickles are made, it means "soaked in." Often used in the context of drugs, the most common being the word "aphrodisiac" in conjunction with "pickled" would mean "soaked in aphrodisiacs." Which probably is not meant in a literal sense.
Piston - as you may have guessed, it means vigorous, hard pounding intercourse.
Pita, Pitapan or Pita Bread (ピタ or ピタッ) - tight clothing. Often, but not always, used in conjunction with "ass," and in that case usually means tight pants or shorts are featured.
Po - A penis. Occurs when the Japanese title censors the word [chinpo] for 'penis' by putting a blank or circle between letters as such: チ〇ポ.
S - sadism, sadist, or sadistic.
S-Class - superior, superlative or special "class." Top tier quality.
Saddle(ハメ) [hame] - like "squirrel" this appears to be a mistranslation of hame - a verb meaning "to insert."
Saffle (セフレ) - a sex friend, friend with benefits, booty call, or fuck buddy.
Shrimp Warp - the arching of a woman's back, particularly during orgasm.
Soap or Soapland- a soapland is a Japanese bathhouse where women wash men. In some cases, it may be a prostitution service, much like some massage parlors. In JAV, "soap" can be a generic reference to prostitution, and bathhouses or actual washing may or may not be present.
Soft Body (軟体 nantai): limber, flexible. Like a girl who can put her feet up behind her head when getting eaten out.
Squid (ikaseru) - to cum. Often comes out as the girls being "made squid" meaning they are made to cum.
Squirrel (ハメ) [hame] - like "saddle" this appears to be a mistranslation of hame - a verb meaning "to insert."
Sukesuke - this means the title features see-through clothing.
Subjective/subjectivity (主観): point-of-view (POV). This appears not only in titles but is also a genre tag.
Transcendental - a not ideal translation of a Japanese word which means so superlative as to be beyond description. Mind blowing.
Tsundere (ツンデレ) This is a transliteration of a Japanese term for a character development process that describes a person who is initially cold (and sometimes even hostile) before gradually showing a warmer, friendlier side over time. In JAV the most likely meaning is someone who starts off cold then warms up, i.e. becomes more willing to have sex. Also a genre tag at javlibrary.
Unequaled (zetsurin 絶倫) - insatiable.
Yankee (yankii) - usually a transliteration of the word "yankii" which means a young criminal, gang member, or thug. Can be male or female. Rarely this might be a mistranslation of "meriken" meaning "American" i.e. yankee. It may be the case if there is a white actress in the title.
Zubozubo (ズボズボ ): jamming something inside. "Zubozubo" is onomatopoeia for "in out."
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