Poll: How do YOU pronounce "hentai"?

[ProfessorLayton]

It's hen-tie. I don't really ever need to use that word very often, though...

 

[child of lileth]

I pronounce it the way it's meant to be pronounced. Hen-tie. I've never heard the other way, but I guess weeaboos come up with new stuff everyday.

 

[blinkgun96]

I would say Hen-tay, but the police usually don't actually give me time to answer when they ask me what on earth put the idea of raping random family members into my head.

Well, if you weren't strangling them with a phone cord they'd never managed to call the police in the first place.

 

[subject_87]

Given my very limited knowledge of Japanese, I'll probably be laughed out of the room by the pros, but I'd just pronounce it hen-tay.

 

[Unesh52]

I pronounce it like hen-tie, but I rarely say it and have little reason to. Why does this thread exist.

Because the OP was desperate to not have to talk about zombies in Off-Topic anymore.

OT: I have reason to believe I flit back and forth, but hen-tie sounds more... Japanese I guess? I'm no language expert, but if theatrical gibberish is to be believed, that's my "educated" opinion.

 

[arsenicCatnip]

The 'ai' sound is always pronounced like the word 'eye'. So 'hen-tie' is the proper pronunciation.

 

[thedoclc]

It's a Japanese loan word into English. If you say "hentay," you sound as wrong as someone who pronounces taco so it rhymes with whacko. The literal meaning could be losely translated as, "strange-liking," or "strange looking." Hen, weird or unusual, is usually a negative word in Japanese.

 

[The Geek Lord]

Hen-tie. I used to pronounce it the latter way, but got corrected by someone else. And, the latter sounds too much like the Pokemon Entei, and they aren't things I want to get someone else confused about.

"I've fapped to Entei before."
"What?!"

On topic, hen-tie. Why? Because a hentai site made a fucking T-Shirt that had a hen wearing a tie. You always listen to the wee-a-boos when it comes to pronunciation.
(Unless the topic has somehow come to Cthulhu. You don't pronounce Cthulhu without nine tongues and a mouth six-feet wide.)

 

[Serafis]

Hen-tie. That's about the only time I've heard it being said.

 

[S.R.S.]

I've heard in a Grand Theft Auto game "hen-tay" but it doesn't matter too much as I've never had to say it outloud. Just in the privacy of a closed room.

 

[Mr. Mike]

According to Japanese phonetic rules, its Hen-Tie

This. Studying any amount of Japanese will tell you it's pronounced "hen-tie".

He-n-ta-i is how it's separated as far as writing it in Hiragana would go.

 

[Lust]

Hen-Tie......

This reminds me of a time I pronounced Yaoi as Yowie. It was a slip of the tounge.

 

[Mr. Mike]

(Unless the topic has somehow come to Cthulhu. You don't pronounce Cthulhu without nine tongues and a mouth six-feet wide.)

How do you pronounce Cthulhu anyways?

 

[cronos2546]

How do I pronounce hentai?

BANHAMMER!!!!

I have no power here though so #2.

 

[Vrex360]

I pronounce it 'Hen-Tie'.
That said, it's something that I do my best not to think too hard about, because some of the stuff I've seen have been told about is pretty messed up.

I would say Hen-tay, but the police usually don't actually give me time to answer when they ask me what on earth put the idea of raping random family members into my head.

I laughed very hard at this. Well done.

 

[Paksenarrion]

Hen-tie. I used to pronounce it the latter way, but got corrected by someone else. And, the latter sounds too much like the Pokemon Entei, and they aren't things I want to get someone else confused about.

Probably a smart move not to mix those two.

"I choose you, Hentai! Use tentacle whip!"

 

[Eldarion]

I'm Japanese.
He-N-Tie
All Japanese characters are pronounced ending with five vowels. AH, EE, OO, EH, OH

Exactly, you only pronounce Japanese vowels one way.

 

[Jaranja]

Hen-Tie......

This reminds me of a time I pronounced Yaoi as Yowie. It was a slip of the tounge.

Isn't that how you pronounce it? :S