ネットサーフィン
nettosaafin
In Japanese, the phrase for casual internet browsing is ネットサーフィン (nettosaafin).
ネットサーフィン refers specifically to the act of looking through information on the internet in a casual, aimless way. While ブラウジング is a direct loanword from English used in computer contexts, and 閲覧 is used for more scholarly or professional browsing of documents and research, ネットサーフィン captures the leisure aspect. You can also use 見て回る to describe looking around websites or physical stores, or the colloquial ブラブラする to describe leisurely wandering or browsing through materials.
What does it mean word for word?
The term ネットサーフィン is a loanword that combines ネット (net/internet) and サーフィン (surfing).
Which one should you use?
ネットサーフィン implies casual, aimless browsing, whereas 検索 refers to the specific act of searching for information using keywords.
How does it change in a sentence?
To use ネットサーフィン as a verb meaning "to browse the internet," you must add the verb する (to do) to the end of the noun to form ネットサーフィンをする.
How do you pronounce it?
nettosaafin
Did you know?
- While English speakers 'surf' the web, the Japanese term ネットサーフィン is a 'wasei-eigo', or 'Japanese-made English'.
- If you tell a Japanese person you are 'surfing', they might picture you on a surfboard at the beach rather than on a laptop.
- While ネットサーフィン is common, the word 閲覧 (etsuran) is so formal that it is often used in legal terms of service to describe the 'right to view' or 'inspect' data.
Examples in context
- インターネットでブラウジングするto browse the internet
- 暇な時は、ネットサーフィンをしています。Hima na toki wa, netto saafin o shite imasu.When I'm free, I spend time browsing the internet.
- 夜、寝る前にネットサーフィンをすることが多いです。Yoru, neru mae ni netto saafin o suru koto ga ooi desu.I often browse the internet at night before sleeping.
- 最近は、ずっとネットサーフィンをしています。Saikin wa, zutto netto saafin o shite imasu.Lately, I have been browsing the internet constantly.
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are talking at a cafe about their hobbies.
- 蓮 Ren陽葵さんは、休みの日は何をしていますか？Himari-san wa, yasumi no hi wa nani o shite imasu ka?Himari, what do you do on your days off?
- 陽葵 Himari家で、ずっとネットサーフィンをしています。Ie de, zutto netto saafin o shite imasu.I am just browsing the internet at home.
- 蓮 Ren楽しそうですね。僕もよくネットサーフィンをします。Tanoshisou desu ne. Boku mo yoku netto saafin o shimasu.That sounds fun. I also browse the internet often.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮さんも、面白いサイトを見つけましたか？Ren-san mo, omoshiroi saito o mitsukemashita ka?Did you find any interesting sites too, Ren?
