Confusion between Chinese and Japanese

lasdf   Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:09 am GMT
Why do so many English speakers inadvertantly confuse the two, when they are referring to the people or the language, or the country? For example, if I introduce my Japanese friend to someone, later in the conversation they might ask, "So how's life in China?" "You mean, Japan?" "Yeah." I've heard so many people do this. What is the reason for this? I can never figure it out. I have never made this mistake. Is it because the cultures have a lot in common? I guess they do, but in my opinion there are lots of differences. The languages sound nothing alike. The governments of the two countries couldn't be more different. The food is different. The traditional clothing and music is very different. I just can't understand how people can confuse the two so easily. I mean, if someone told me they were Japanese, I wouldn't call them Chinese. Why do people make this mistake so often--and usually it's just a slip of the tongue or something. Is it because Japanese and Chinese both end in -ese? And why do people not make the same mistake with other countries very often. I mean if you met someone from Norway, I doubt many people would ask "And how are things in Sweden?".
/   Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:27 am GMT
"I mean if you met someone from Norway, I doubt many people would ask "And how are things in Sweden?"."

Some people would do this as well. The new person would be categorized as "Scandinavian". Unless someone thinks about a topic in detail they are likely to generalize and sometimes generalize
with results that are going to be an issue or insulting.

This kind of issue usually comes because the person is inexperienced concerning people from China and Japan or people from Asia.

If I were to ask you about people groups in Africa, how well would you do? Maybe you would do okay, but many people broadbrush anyone from Africa as African with the mental note of "Who cares? It's all the same, right?"

It's an excercise in civility and etiquette to set people straight without insulting them. You can't say, "Hey, what the blank is wrong with you?
Don't you know Chinese from Japanese?"
hoard   Mon Apr 13, 2009 2:58 am GMT
lasdf,

If you met someone from Niger, is it possible that you might confuse them with people from Nigeria? Or if you met someone from the Palau, mightn't you confuse them with people from Tokelau?
Skippy   Mon Apr 13, 2009 3:22 am GMT
Lack of exposure. Americans may be familiar with the food of one or the other or both, but that will typically be the extent of it.
kris   Mon Apr 13, 2009 3:39 am GMT
Well I don't know. There are so many Chinese and Japanese immigrants in the US. It seems like most people from other countries are from one or the other or are from Taiwan or Korea. It seems like there are more people from those countries than from Mexico. At least here it's like that. Not as much back east I think. Also Chinese restaurants are very popular as are Japanese sushi restaurants and Teriyaki restaurants, as well as Thai restaurants. Also, it seems like everyone reads Manga and watches Japanese anime. With all that exposure to Asian cultures in the US, I think it's baffling that anyone could confuse those countries. It's even more so in Canada. I've been to Vancouver, and I met hundreds of people from Hong Kong alone. Most of the immigrants to Canada seem to be Chinese.
Wintereis   Mon Apr 13, 2009 5:02 am GMT
I think it is due to the person not paying attention as well as they should when you say: "This is my friend X; she/he is from Japan". That or they promptly forget which you said. Also, many of the cultural differences are not going to be obvious unless your friend is eathing sushi or has on a kimono. And for a person who is unfamiliar with Japanese and Chinese languages, they wont likely know the differance upon hearing one or the other. As far as the rest is concerned, I am no expert on either nation but was familiar with all the differances you cited. I can only presume that most others are as well.
Eric   Tue Apr 21, 2009 6:17 am GMT
It's just generalization based on ignorance. For instance, I now know the differences between them, but I used to get the following places confused as a small child (please feel free to be offended):

Russia and Germany

Japan and China

Ireland and Sctoland

Austria and Australia

Sweden and Switzerland

Pennsylvania and Transylvania

Almost anything with "North" or "South" at the begining
Super Korean   Fri Apr 24, 2009 12:37 pm GMT
I have a better one!
"Oh I heard you're from Korea. does that mean you speak Chinese?"

There are more Korean immigrants than Japanese living in America.
South Korea sends the largest international students to the US. (The number is even larger than that of China and India!)
But many people (the ones from small town) still ask if I'm Chinese or Japanese.
Can't they just ask "Where are you from?" instead of asking "Are you Chinese?"
mini nonkorean   Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:48 pm GMT
<<Can't they just ask "Where are you from?" instead of asking "Are you Chinese?" >>

Because you look Chinese. All Koreans look Chinese.
Caspian   Fri Apr 24, 2009 6:27 pm GMT
This makes my blood boil. If I say to somebody I know 'I'm learning Chinese', I often get the reply: 'Japanese? Cool!'. I mean, how stupid can you get?!
angry   Fri Apr 24, 2009 11:16 pm GMT
<<This makes my blood boil. If I say to somebody I know 'I'm learning Chinese', I often get the reply: 'Japanese? Cool!'. I mean, how stupid can you get?! >>


Yeah, I feel the same way when I say "I'm studying non-commutative rings" and people say "you're a jeweller? Cool". I mean, how stupid can you get!
Super Korean   Sat Apr 25, 2009 2:53 am GMT
<All Koreans look Chinese.>
This comment will offend both Chinese and Koreans. :p
Asian ethnic groups look different from each other and most of us can tell apart from each other just by looking at appearance.
:)   Sat Apr 25, 2009 4:03 am GMT
they all look the same.
realist   Sat Apr 25, 2009 4:08 am GMT
<<<
<All Koreans look Chinese.>
This comment will offend both Chinese and Koreans. :p
Asian ethnic groups look different from each other and most of us can tell apart from each other just by looking at appearance.
>>>


Well, what if it is true? Does the reality offend you?

Put a random Asian in front of me and I WILL NOT KNOW WHETHER IT IS A CHINESE PERSON OR A KOREAN. It's not that I am racist, I just DON'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE. If I saw them everyday, then yes, I would probably learn to tell them apart with time, but I DON'T see them everyday...

I'm sure many Asians can't tell a German from a Frenchman, even though we can (not always of course), but I wouldn't be offended by that...
Super Korean   Sat Apr 25, 2009 11:13 am GMT
Europeans are a lot more mixed with each other than Asians. My French friend told me it's really hard to tell German from French or British from French unless she hears the language. (She said: sometimes there are obvious German looking people and obvious French looking people but in most times it is hard to tell each other!)

While Asians are much less mixed and it is fairly easier to tell apart from each other.

I can tell Russians(Eastern Europeans) from Western Europeans in many cases mainly because of Russians' gloomy poker-faces. XD