新世紀エヴァンゲリオン
Shinseiki Evangerion
Neon Genesis Evangelion is the title of a Japanese anime series, translated as 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン (Shinseiki Evangerion) in Japanese.
What does it mean word for word?
The first part of the title, 新世紀 (shinseiki), literally means 'new century'.
How do you pronounce it?
Shinseiki Evangerion
Did you know?
- The word エヴァンゲリオン is a phonetic transcription of the Greek word 'euangelion', which means 'good news' or 'gospel'.
- While エヴァンゲリオン is the official title, fans often use the shortened form エヴァ (Eva), which reflects a common Japanese linguistic habit of truncating long foreign loanwords into two or three syllables.
- The choice of Katakana for エヴァンゲリオン specifically signals to a Japanese reader that the concept is alien, futuristic or foreign, regardless of the word's actual origin.
Examples in context
- 新世紀エヴァンゲリオン は私のお気に入りのアニメです。"Neon Genesis Evangelion" is my favorite anime.
- 「エヴァ」 のキャラクターデザインが素晴らしいですね。The character design of "Eva" is amazing, right?
- 新世紀エヴァンゲリオンは名作です。Shinseiki Evangerion wa meisaku desu.Neon Genesis Evangelion is a masterpiece.
- 新世紀エヴァンゲリオンを観ましたか？Shinseiki Evangerion o mimashita ka?Have you watched Neon Genesis Evangelion?
- 新世紀エヴァンゲリオンの主題歌が好きです。Shinseiki Evangerion no shudaika ga suki desu.I like the theme song of Neon Genesis Evangelion.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about what to watch on TV.
- 大翔 Hiroto今夜、新世紀エヴァンゲリオンを観ないか？Konya, Shinseiki Evangerion o minai ka?Do you want to watch Neon Genesis Evangelion tonight?
- 結衣 Yuiいいですね。ぜひ観たいです！Ii desu ne. Zehi mitai desu!That sounds great. I'd love to!
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣はもうストーリーを知っている？Yui wa mou sutōrī o shitte iru?Do you already know the story, Yui?
- 結衣 Yuiいいえ、まだ観たことがありません。Iie, mada mita koto ga arimasen.No, I haven't seen it yet.
