Learning Japanese can sometimes feel like one of those spot-the-difference puzzles. At first, the two pictures seem identical. But once you look closer, you’ll find some surprises: a missing hat, eyes looking in a different direction… or in our case, a familiar-looking word that means something completely different .

Japanese has no shortage of loanwords , but knowing the word in the language it’s borrowed from doesn’t always guarantee you can guess its meaning in Japanese! Here are six words whose meanings have taken a surprising turn!

カンニング (kanningu) 🤫📝

Meaning: cheating (on a test)

Source: English cunning

Japanese equivalent: 不正行為 (fusei koui, improper conduct )

In modern English, cunning refers to cleverness, but often in a slightly sneaky way.…