In Japan, Apple's Siri Sounds Like Ass

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Oh c'mon, I'm sure Apple thoroughly researched the word Siri and knew that it sounded like the word for ass in Japanese. Wait. What?

In Japan, though, many found it tough to take Siri seriously at all. That’s because the name Siri sounds suspiciously close to the Japanese word shiri – a colloquial term for buttocks that, appropriately enough, rhymes with “crass.”
 
think that is bad try the Japanese word for adviser "komon". spelled the same but pronounced slightly differently means anus. There are others but this is the one that is usually taught.
 
Siri and Shiri are about as similar as Fuck and Puck.

Well, in the japanese alphabet, there is no natural "si" sound... it usually gets changed to "shi" or transliterate it. So the way it would come out for them would be "shiri" written.

They have adapted a way to write "si" when dealing with foreign words, but when spoken, many still pronounce it as "shi".
 
It's also possible a joke about Pac Man went entirely over my head until just now :p
 
way to go crApple, offending your way out of another market.

Maybe they don't care about the Japanese market since most carriers there only offer domestically produced phones. When I was there, no one used the iphone because it was only available on softbank. But then again, even their low cost flip phones are light years ahead of everywhere else.
 
Well, in the japanese alphabet, there is no natural "si" sound... it usually gets changed to "shi" or transliterate it. So the way it would come out for them would be "shiri" written.

They have adapted a way to write "si" when dealing with foreign words, but when spoken, many still pronounce it as "shi".


Sounds like they need to rethink their language then.
 

He's repeating a rumor that was started from a bad wired article from 2008 and a 2007 WSJ article stating that the iphone does not sell in Japan because native phones were better and as a result it was being offered for free. In reality free phones were common at the time (the cost was added to the bill until the government made them stop that practice) and most of the major negatives were dealt with by software updates or phone covers.

also for what it's worth siri isn't even a feature in Japan yet but whatever...
 
Oh c'mon, I'm sure Apple thoroughly researched the word Siri and knew that it sounded like the word for ass in Japanese. Wait. What?

And they sell sweat (Pocari Sweat) in Japanese vending machines.

Words in one language mean something else in another... Amazing!
 
this is what happens when you try and be hip and trendy you make an ass out of yourself. they should have just called it bendover that would be fitting since thats what most apple customers do when they buy these toys.
 
this is what happens when you try and be hip and trendy you make an ass out of yourself. they should have just called it bendover that would be fitting since thats what most apple customers do when they buy these toys.

Actually Apple bought the company that was working on this idea of trying to recognize the meaning of phrases instead of making people say exact voice commands, and that company's name was Siri. Apple didn't create the name, they actually kept it the same as homage to the original creators of the technology. So your accusation that the naming was just Apple trying to be 'hip and trendy' might make an ass out of somebody, but it isn't Apple.

Plus, as it said in the article, Siri won't be in the Japanese iPhone 4S, so if they can get it working with that language it'll probably be named something entirely different in Japan.
 
Its just America's way of getting back at Japan and Nintendo and its 'Wii'.
 
Tentacle porn isn't offensive, but "Ass" is?

How do you even compared the two? Tentacle porn is watched by mainly Japanese boys/men while Siri is a feature on the iphone that is available to everyone including women and children.

Do you actually think tentacle porn is advertised in between regular programming on TV?
 
Damn, what happened to the edit button. I want to fix that "d" on the first sentence so bad. :D
 
How do you even compared the two? Tentacle porn is watched by mainly Japanese boys/men while Siri is a feature on the iphone that is available to everyone including women and children.

Do you actually think tentacle porn is advertised in between regular programming on TV?

Absolutely. I'm glad you put on your serious face for this discussion.
 
Absolutely. I'm glad you put on your serious face for this discussion.

So you are agreeing that you think that tentacle porn is advertised on Japanese TV? Lol.

Anyway, if you first post was supposed to be funny and filled with sarcasm, you failed miserably.
 
So you are agreeing that you think that tentacle porn is advertised on Japanese TV? Lol.

Anyway, if you first post was supposed to be funny and filled with sarcasm, you failed miserably.

Duly noted, sir. I appreciate the feedback.
 
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