Kanpai or Kampai, which is most correct?

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Hello! Have seen "Cheers" in Japanese written as "kanpai" and "kampai", which is correct or most correct? Have family in Japan, and will take my first trip over there soon to bring my Mother's ashes back to her Homeland. Would not want to offend if I make a toast incorrectly. Thank you so much!

By Patrick Remington Posted on October 25, 2017
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Jimu
April 20, 2019
21:41

When I lived there I also said and heard it as "kampai".
Everyone toasted with me and said kampai.
Hope this helps. Sorry to hear about your mum.

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RAKOTOSON Mari…
May 24, 2019
04:02

Hello! I want to receive a japanese speech lesson from Kanpai. I think that Kanpai help me very much for my following knowledge about the japanese language and the japanese life. I have already took JLPT N5 so share me please the japanese language lesson from Kanpai. Thank you very much.

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Rob
December 26, 2019
08:46

Neither way is the most correct. It just depends on the region you visit.

Just say it the say they do when you visit.

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Ludwig Fromm
April 12, 2020
07:31

kampai!
sounds better!!
L

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2.87/5 (375 votes)
Michael
November 26, 2020
22:42

i think its written kanpai, but the way we say it will be more likely kampai because the following words after "n" is "p" and because of that our mouth will be closed after the "kan" pronounciation, and it will sound like "kam" because our mouth will be closed.

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Regina
December 18, 2020
17:36

I'm pretty sure it's "kanpai," because if written in hiragana, there's no "m" equivalent ... it would be written かんぱい (ka-n-pa-ii).

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Dietbert
July 23, 2021
23:52

It is kampai with a "m." You will find the word in Kanji because it is Japanese. It ca also be written in Hiragana.
The Japanese language has a "M." Children sing the nursery rhyme ABC in Japanese before the age of 3.

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3.47/5 (162 votes)
August 29, 2021
19:22

Michael has given the best answer. It's written かんぱい (ka-n-pa-i), but n followed by p or b often become an "m" sound because of the mouth's position on the following p or b. It's simpler to form the mouth for "m" in that case, which is, in practice, what often happens. Thus the alternate English spelling.

Regina is also correct, there is no "m" sound in the Japanese syllabary. "M" is always combined with a vowel, so: ma, mi, mu, me, mo. So there's no "m" without a following vowel. So it's correctly written with an "n". But it will _sound_ like an m anyway.

There's no point in arguing which _pronunciation_ is correct, however, because, in reality, it'd be virtually impossible to hear the difference between the two pronunciations. Phonetically, they're the same. The only actual difference is in your mind, depending on whether you think you're saying (or hearing) "n" or "m".

Short answer: they're both acceptable; there may be regional preferences; and there's no practical difference between the two in terms of sound, anyway.

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Haidee
November 27, 2024
09:30

Sooo I grew up with a 100% 'born in Japan' adorable cute lil' Japanese mom (she came here LEGALLY and became a naturalized citizen soon after (studied and took the test to become an official US citizen, passed and got sworn in...) and as a small child, I learned hiragana/katakana/some kanji (the fancy looking picture words...) and although it really does SOUND like it should be spelled with an "m", per Ronin's post above showing its japanese spelling as kaNpai, that is, in fact, how it's spelled...with the letter "n". The spelling has nothing to do with regions in Japan - they still all "spell" it with the same hiragana (lower case letters) and the sound is an N sound (they have a Japanese letter for the single sound "n", but they don't have a specific letter just for the "m" sound (they DO have letters that are pronounced, "ma, me, mu, meh, mo").

So! Toasting in Japan is SPELLED kanpai but it really sounds like "come-pie" or kampai :)

If you want to be culturally correct, you should wait until "kanpai" is said, say it as well as you raise your glass BEFORE you take your first sip (at the beginning of a meal,etc.)._ (I realize this is an old post but it's never too late to provide correct data, right? ;)

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Haidee
November 27, 2024
09:32

{not to mention the website, an official Japanese info website, spells it with an "n" LOL!!}

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