最初はグー、じゃんけんぽん
saisho wa guu, jankenpon
The phrase for "rock paper scissors shoot" in Japanese is 最初はグー、じゃんけんぽん (saisho wa guu, jankenpon).
This phrase is used to initiate the hand game of rock paper scissors to settle a dispute or make a decision. While English speakers often add "shoot" at the end, in Japanese, the rhythmic pon at the end of じゃんけんぽん serves this purpose by signaling the exact moment players reveal their hands.
What does it mean word for word?
The first part of the phrase, 最初はグー, literally means "first is rock".
How do you pronounce it?
saisho wa guu, jankenpon
When do people say it?
The hand gestures used in this game are named グー (rock), チョキ (scissors) and パー (paper).
Did you know?
- The word グー for 'rock' is believed by some to be a phonetic adaptation of the English word 'good', reflecting the hand shape's strength.
- In Japan, players often perform a ritual called あいこ ('draw') when they tie, repeating the phrase あいこでしょ ('it is a draw, right?') rapidly until a winner is decided.
- In Japanese schools, じゃんけん is frequently used by teachers to decide who gets to be the line leader or who performs a chore.
Examples in context
- 最初はグー、じゃんけんぽん！Saisho wa guu, jankenpon!Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!
- 最初はグー、じゃんけんぽん、で決めよう。Saisho wa guu, jankenpon, de kimeyou.Let's decide with rock, paper, scissors, shoot.
- 最初はグー、じゃんけんぽん！勝ったよ。Saisho wa guu, jankenpon! Katta yo.Rock, paper, scissors, shoot! I won.
Example conversation
Two siblings are deciding who has to clean the room.
- 陽葵 Himariどっちが掃除するか、最初はグー、じゃんけんぽん！Dotchi ga souji suru ka, saisho wa guu, janken pon!Let's see who cleans. Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!
- 陽太 Yotaあ、僕が負けた！A, boku ga maketa!Ah, I lost!
- 陽葵 Himariやった！陽太が掃除してね。Yatta! Youta ga souji shite ne.Yay! Youta, you do the cleaning.
- 陽太 Yotaわかったよ。もうやるよ。Wakatta yo. Mou yaru yo.I get it. I'll do it now.
