Saiyajin? Saiyan?

[Thanos]

I'm fully aware of the Saiyan/Saiyajin translation dichotomy, however... I'm curious. Why do those of you who say Saiyajin, say it that way? I personally say "Saiyan", but pronounce it correctly (I say SY-IN, instead of SAY-IN like the dub does). Isn't 'jin' tied directly to the Japanese language? For instance, no English-speaking fans of the Japanese version (that I know of) refer to Namekians as "Namekseijin", nor do they refer to Earthlings as "Chikyujin" or "Earthjin" (to be confusing more ). Is it to preserve the "Super Saiyajin" premise to stay true to the source, or is there another reason I'm missing? It just seems a bit... inconsistent? Hmm.


Thanks.

[Pokewhiz7]

I say Saiyajin because I also say Majin.

[MCDaveG]

I'm saying Saiyan without a jin, same as I'm not saying Goku-san or ''insert''ningen.............
And I can't pronounce it incorectly.

[Thanos]

I'm saying Saiyan without a jin, same as I'm not saying Goku-san or ''insert''ningen.............
And I can't pronounce it incorectly.

That's pretty much how I see it... I tend to refer to them as Artifical Humans... although it gets confusing when you factor in Ju Hachigo and Ju Nanago's half-human biology... (so these two are technically cyborgs) Meh.

I say Saiyajin because I also say Majin.

Mmm, what would you have said before the Majins came along?

I tend to be more true to Japanese when it comes to the character's name. In a way, referring to Ju Hachigo as "Android 18" or whatever is kind of the same thing as referring to Mr. Satan as... well, you know. Same goes for Majin Buu, really. Besides, what else would you say? Maian?

[Herms]

For instance, no English-speaking fans of the Japanese version (that I know of) refer to Namekians as "Namekseijin"

Should be "Namekku-seijin" </nitpick>. And I have seen fans call them that, though it's rare.

[Thanos]

For instance, no English-speaking fans of the Japanese version (that I know of) refer to Namekians as "Namekseijin"

Should be "Namekku-seijin" </nitpick>. And I have seen fans call them that, though it's rare.

Uh, maybe. But isn't that the same as saying 'Bejita', 'Torunksu', etc.?

[MCDaveG]

I really am lost sometimes and then I go with ''you don't have to be geek in everything'' altough I'm reading lot of sci-fi.....
I refering to them as Androids and I think that doesn't matter a lot, but actually, aren't they Trans Human?
Technically enhanced humans? Muhahaha

[Pokewhiz7]

I'm saying Saiyan without a jin, same as I'm not saying Goku-san or ''insert''ningen.............
And I can't pronounce it incorectly.

That's pretty much how I see it... I tend to refer to them as Artifical Humans... although it gets confusing when you factor in Ju Hachigo and Ju Nanago's half-human biology... (so these two are technically cyborgs) Meh.

I say Saiyajin because I also say Majin.

Mmm, what would you have said before the Majins came along?

I tend to be more true to Japanese when it comes to the character's name. In a way, referring to Ju Hachigo as "Android 18" or whatever is kind of the same thing as referring to Mr. Satan as... well, you know. Same goes for Majin Buu, really. Besides, what else would you say? Maian?

Before that, Sigh in.

[samuraix123]

I Just say Saiyan like the Dub Because I like the way it sounds

[Kiyza]

I'm fully aware of the Saiyan/Saiyajin translation dichotomy, however... I'm curious. Why do those of you who say Saiyajin, say it that way? I personally say "Saiyan", but pronounce it correctly (I say SY-IN, instead of SAY-IN like the dub does). Isn't 'jin' tied directly to the Japanese language? For instance, no English-speaking fans of the Japanese version (that I know of) refer to Namekians as "Namekseijin", nor do they refer to Earthlings as "Chikyujin" or "Earthjin" (to be confusing more ). Is it to preserve the "Super Saiyajin" premise to stay true to the source, or is there another reason I'm missing? It just seems a bit... inconsistent? Hmm.


Thanks.

It's a very good question. I'd say one of the reasons it's stuck so long is that a lot of fans of anime who watch it in Japanese tend to use the Japanese words to differentiate themselves from the ones who watch various dubs. It might also be that that's just what people are used to, because it's used in "Super Saiyajin," which is probably going to crop up more often than "Namekseijin" or "Chkyujin." We probably don't use the latter term for Earthlings since there's a simple, pretty much direct translation to the English language. On that note, I have seen people use the term Namekseijin instead of Namekian. In particular, Velasa on this forum uses it a fair bit. It's not overly common, though, and she's definitely the odd exception.

The main reason that I tend to use Saiyan is, among other things, consistency like you described. It's also what I'm just used to seeing, for instance, in Daimao's subtitles and the VIZ manga. But I always pronounce it "Sigh-an" since it sounds closer to "Saiyajin," which tends to throw a number of people off when I'm talking to dub fans in public.

[Herms]

Uh, maybe. But isn't that the same as saying 'Bejita', 'Torunksu', etc.?

Not to much less of an extent than "Namek-seijin" would be. I'd assume the only reason someone would leave the "seijin" suffix untranslated would be out of a desire to keep the name as close to the Japanese term as possible, and that gives you Namekku-seijin. I don't think there's any point in doing that, but if you do you might as well do it right. I don't see why someone would consider the "seijin" part best left untranslated but at the same time believe the "kku" part should go.

(Oh, and the direct transliteration for Trunks would be Torankusu, not Torunksu. Again, I see no reason not to just use "Trunks", but we might as well keep these things straight.)

Same goes for Majin Buu, really. Besides, what else would you say? Maian?

Demon man, genie, djinn. Same way "majin" is typically translated outside of DB.

[MCDaveG]

I Just say Saiyan like the Dub Because I like the way it sounds

Ya mean: ''Say N!!'' ?

[samuraix123]

I Just say Saiyan like the Dub Because I like the way it sounds

Ya mean: ''Say N!!'' ?

Yup that's what I use all the time but it's no big deal to me the way people pronounce it. Except when I hear VegettoEX say it Scion like the car that just sounds weird to me lol But I love em anyway

[penguintruth]

Like the dub, because you get accused of being a weeaboo pronouncing it any other way.

[MajinVejitaXV]

Like the dub, because you get accused of being a weeaboo pronouncing it any other way.

I still don't see how one gets "Sei-yan" from Saiyan. Maybe it's just me... ;p

[DBZ Mick]

Like the dub lately.

Or Saiya-jin.

[Pokewhiz7]

Like the dub, because you get accused of being a weeaboo pronouncing it any other way.

I still don't see how one gets "Sei-yan" from Saiyan. Maybe it's just me... ;p

Bait, gait, wait.

[MajinVejitaXV]

Bait, gait, wait.

Nah, I'm not baiting anyone if that's what you're implying. I just literally don't see how it works. If someone can explain it to me, I'll honestly drop all my objections (as few as they may be).

[Levlik]

It's a Japanese word, so it's not going to have a "Say" sound with "Sai" in there.

Funny how nobody bats an eye at the English pronounciation of "Sai"bamen.

[Pokewhiz7]

I guess the voice directors didn't know any better.