Should Foreigner's use native language in fanfics.

[antimatterenergy]

For instance should Shampoo occasionally use chinese words and phrases in fanfiction so as to show that she isn't speaking her native tongue?
Examples (fairly certain I mispelled some):
Nihao - Hello
wuo ai ni - I love you
wuoda airen - my love
shei shei - thank you
shai shen - bye bye
or say a word in chinese becuase she doesn't know the word in Japanese/english.

[Anchoku]

I have some pathetically small knowledge of Japanese so I understand a few of the cultural differences. I think that's the hardest part to translate while still keeping the same canon "flavor."
I get turned off by fics with randomly sprinkled words and catch-phrases such as "baka", "NWC" and a host of other abused Japanese words, non-canon monikers and trite conversation almost as much as I'm repulsed by idealistic behavior and unrealistic power-ups.
Using words from a foreign language isn't bad as long as they're used properly, are followed by explanations of their meaning and, are not over-used.
In Ranma 1/2, Takahashi-san keeps her Chinese dialog simple and consistent but does not use Chinese as anything other than for plot gags and to cue Shampoo's dialog.
With that said, I do try to use Japanese behaviors and cultural referenes translated into English but haven't found satisfactory substitutes for the honorifics used in conversation and have stuck with them. I still catch myself using -san/kun/chan/sama/dono inconsistently. In intimate conversation, these politeness/status tags are often dropped. They are also dropped when referring to someone in the third person so are unnecessary during naration. It's hard keeping track of this. ^^'

[Shadow General]

I agree in that I don't mind the use of other languages then that which the story is written within said story.
It has to be done tastefully and properly, however. Throwing random words which you may think are "cool" into a story may seem like a good idea, but it isn't. Using those cool words in a proper sentance in the proper language, hopefully with a translation elsewhere in the text (either a direct or an implied one), that's okay. The odd catch phrase (Shampoo's greeting, for example) can be used succesfully, as long as you don't innundate the story with it. Use it a few times, not every paragraph. Never mix languages in the same sentance or phrase, unless using a proper name (see below) and NEVER use a word to which you do not know it's meanings and connotations. You can make up your own language as well, as long as you treat it the same way as you would an existing one.
This goes right along with my opinions on using proper names for things. For example, if the name for a certain technique (ie Neko ken) is in a diferant language then that of the text, it is still acceptable to use that proper name. However, try to avoid footnotes as much as possible for translations, add it in to the story somehow. Such as in a charater's reaction to the name, or the description of it.
That should cover my opinons, I think. Now it's time to get some sleep... havn't done that in a while! :-p

[lwf58]

The advice I give to the folks hosted in the Lost Library is to avoid gratuitous use of foreign words in fan fiction. If there's a word in English that gets the idea across, use it. Throwing Japanese (or Chinese) into a fic just because you can is a very bad idea. It's just a form of showing off that you can.
The exceptions, as mentioned before, are:
a: pronouns like names, titles, martial arts techniques, objects, and professions (for example, the combination hallway and porch that overlooks the koi pond in the Tendo home is called an "Engawa", and there's no similar word in English. Ukyou is an okonomiyaki-ya, or okonomiyaki-seller. Never call okonomiyaki "Japanese pizza" or "Japanese pancakes", because they aren't).
b: honorifics that have no English equivalent (for example, there's no reasonable way in English to say "Kasumi-oneechan").
I agree that terms like "Nerima Wrecking Crew", "Lost Boy" and so on, should be avoided. They are fan cliches, and were never part of the series.

[nuclear death frog]

b: honorifics that have no English equivalent (for example, there's no reasonable way in English to say "Kasumi-oneechan").

False: "dear older sister Kasumi". Yes, it takes longer to say but no one who uses English formally and precisely would begrudge it.
Or at least they shouldn't.

[TerraEpon]

Um....I don't think any of you all understood the question.
It's not asking if you should use Japanese in fanfics set in Japan (that's another topic), but rather, if people who are foreign /in the story/ should use other languages -- like should Shampoo say "shi shi" (or whatever) rather than "bye bye", etc etc.
-Joshua

[lwf58]

Ah? In that case, the same applies, with a reservation. It's better to use English with special characters to denote the use of foreign language, and show in the story that it's incomprehensible to the other characters, unless you want to have an effect of keeping the readers in the dark too. For example:
"<Yeah, and your mother was a fat cow with swollen udders,>" Shampoo said with a bright, innocent smile. "<I'd kick your butt, except that my foot might get stuck in that tub of lard. Bye-bye!>"
Akane scratched her head as she watched the Chinese girl pedal off on her bicycle. "I wonder what the heck she just said?"
The use of foreign words as "flavor" is acceptable, but should be kept to a minimum.

[lwf58]

b: honorifics that have no English equivalent (for example, there's no reasonable way in English to say "Kasumi-oneechan").

False: "dear older sister Kasumi". Yes, it takes longer to say but no one who uses English formally and precisely would begrudge it.
Or at least they shouldn't.

The point is that no matter how you slice it, it's an awkward, artificial sounding sentence construction. We never had a desire to precisely define birth order in terms of address, which is something Asian countries find important, so we never had a need for one-word expressions for them, like nee, nii, or imouto. The Japanese preoccupation with birth order is highlighted by the fact that their names -- especially boy's names -- are very often variations of the numbers one, two, three, and so on.

[Shadow General]

Ah? In that case, the same applies, with a reservation. It's better to use English with special characters to denote the use of foreign language, and show in the story that it's incomprehensible to the other characters, unless you want to have an effect of keeping the readers in the dark too.

Oh, I definately agree with what lwf58 says here. But I've seen this way overdone as well, in where an authour will use a differant type of quote system for thoughts, sounds, chinese, french etc etc etc. All of that stuff just clutters the text, and makes it hard to read.
If you want to use translated foreign languages, use <these types of quotes> for ALL of the languages other then the main. Use the reactons of others or add it into the description as to what language it is, similar to lwf58's example.
Sound effects HAVE NO SPECIFIC QUOTE SYSTEM in normal prose. Don't create one either....
Thoughts, on the other hand, DO have a system. Generally thoughts of characters in prose are in italics, like this. Again, don't fix what ain't broke.
But, to get back on the main topic, I see nothing wrong with a character speaking in their native tounge in a story, since that's what happens in real life. Just take care in HOW you portray that use of language... that's what I have an issue with.
Oh, and exact literal translations (the Kasumi-oneesama example) are just plain akward most of the time. Prose needs to flow, and literal translations usually just don't work, nor do they convey the proper connotations of the word or phrase. Nothing wrong with using the proper names or honorifics, so long as the meaning and connotations behind it are made known somewhere else in the text. With reluctance, you can do this with a footnote / glosssary, but it is much smoother and better to find a way to put it in the main body of the story somewhere.

[Cyber_Skaarj]

False: "dear older sister Kasumi". Yes, it takes longer to say but no one who uses English formally and precisely would begrudge it.
Or at least they shouldn't.

I use English quite precisely, and formally when the occasion demands it - because I am English - but I would begrudge the use of something like "dear older sister Kasumi", as it's very cumbersome and no Englishman would constantly use it the way the Japanese use their honorifics. It would very quickly become annoying to have to read that every time Akane or Nabiki talk to or about their sister, rather than having the author use the much more reader-friendly "Kasumi-oneechan", which is faster to read and very much easier to say.
I find lwf58's little description highly appropriate in this sort of discussion:

The point is that no matter how you slice it, it's an awkward, artificial sounding sentence construction.

[Himitsu]

There are a lot of words in the japanese language that are just better not to translate. That being said, the majority of words in the japanese language are quite easily to translate over to English. I can understand keeping works like, Nakama, attack names and honorifics in their japanese form. Infact, it's better to keep them in japanese beacause it can convey more meaning that way in less words. However, doing whole introductions in japanese or converstations is just gratuitous and quite annoying.

[GenocideHeart]

Sometimes the use of native words is OK. I KNOW that some Italians slip into their native language when speaking english, so it's an occasional fluke that happens in real life.
Key word: OCCASIONAL. It should be used sparingly.
To be fair, Shampoo consistently says 'Nihao' even in the manga, so for her, that much is acceptable...

[A.Nonymous]

I once watched a Tenchi GXP episode translated in Hong Kong... They did direct substitutions for the suffixes chan, san, sama, and probably a few I don't know like prince, princess and the like.
It was really strange seeing Seina, who is male, called "Miss Seina" (from Seina-chan) and Lady Seto called "Mister Seto."
Don't try to write plays on words into a fanfic. I remember the the scene where Mint and Lime were discussing the "Fathers" on Herbs chest. It was a pun in Japanese...but without the explanation I would never have known. And I can't count how many times I've read Ranma say "You're not cute, you're beautiful" to Akane, as if it would make it better..."cute" is a TRANSLATION of the word kawaii...the word doen't really mean "cute," it's FAR more. Practically a cult in Japan. And saying "you're not cute, you're beautiful" is like saying "you're not beautiful, you're handsome" in English.
The lesson is, don't use it if you're going to get it wrong.
I also have a pet peeve with "Kami-sama," particularly as an expletive. It's not a Japanese phrase, so don't put it in a fanfic. It's OK in anime like Ah! My Goddess but only when said by a Goddess. Belldandy can exclaim "Kami-sama preserve us" but it better not come out of the mouth of Megumi or Tamiya...
That said though, "Geeze" seems to be an actual Japanese word used by schoolgirls...or so I've heard.

[EdenB]

I'd say go by whatever the character does in the manga/anime. Using the example of Shampoo, having her and her bike land on Ranma while saying "Nihao Airen!" would be okay, since anyone who'd watched the series would be familiar enough with it, without having to refer to a guide all the time at the top/bottom of the page.