Bonsai Pronunciation

[neptune13]

Has anyone else had an issue with pronunciation of bonsai? Whenever I call a nursery or a garden center to ask if they carry certain products, I ask "Do you carry bonsai ... ?" (I pronounce bone-sigh). What I typically get back is "huh? Oh you mean bonzai trees?" On-line searches lead me to believe bone-sigh is the correct pronunciation but so many people give me the wrinkled 'huh' face I want to make sure.

 

[rockm]

Yeah, if you don't do bonsai, or just sell it, you're unlikely to know how to pronounce it. Pronoucing it like it shold be pronounced will get you strange looks. Not their fault, they don't speak Japanese. Banzai or some other variation will get you more results. I use it both ways, saving the correct pronunciation (Bone-sigh) for those who understand it.

 

[GrimLore]

The American dictionaries say the pronunciation is "bon-sigh"...

Grimmy

 

[barrosinc]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Bonsai.ogg thats what wikipedia says...

 

[timetravel_0]

Bonn-sigh for people who don't care. Bone-sigh for people who actually do.

 

[rockm]

Doesn't really make any difference how the dictionary says to pronounce it.

Most people say it "Bonnzai." You will be more understood if you use that pronunciation with "civilians" unfamiliar with the word. Getting all official with the pronunciation with people who aren't familiar with it can be seen as kiinda rude and pretentious. Want to stop a conversation with someone who's not familiar?-- correct their pronunciation of the bonnzai to "it's pronounced Bone-sigh" Queue eyeroll and "excuse me, I just HAVE to have something better to do."

 

[neptune13]

You're right rockm, I have seen that first hand! God forbid you correct someone and they actually learn something. I shouldn't have to say it incorrectly so as not to annoy someone. They sure have no problem telling me what I meant to say! As long as I know I'm saying it correctly I guess that's all that matters to me.

 

[whfarro]

We have had this discussion at the club level and while everyone was in agreement with the "proper" pronunciation, the group was split on using it all the time. Many felt always using correctly helped educate the unknowing public. Others felt that was aloof and put people off.

My view is we should do our best to use the correct pronunciation for all related terms, mame, shohin, nebari....etc. and to politely educate folks along the way.

More importantly how do you pronounce Worcester? Haha

 

[DougB]

I do not purchase anything from those who do not demonstrate a working knowledge of this art by the words they use. Their banzai - dead trees in a pot do not strike my fancy!

 

[rockm]

You're right rockm, I have seen that first hand! God forbid you correct someone and they actually learn something. I shouldn't have to say it incorrectly so as not to annoy someone. They sure have no problem telling me what I meant to say! As long as I know I'm saying it correctly I guess that's all that matters to me.

I'm not really out to teach anyone Japanese. I'm out to foster their interest in this stuff. I don't fault them for pronouncing an unfamiliar foreign word incorrectly. Hell, I'M probably mispronouncing it slightly too.

I shudder at the thought of trying to "correct" mame, shohin, etc. with people, even other non-Japanese bonsaiists. That's a slippery slope to irritating pretension. What about Yose ue, sashe eda, and about a hundred others? I have no idea how to pronounce those...Don't really need to. "Group planting" and "first branch" work for me, but I'm an unsophisticated 'mericun.

 

[neptune13]

We have had this discussion at the club level and while everyone was in agreement with the "proper" pronunciation, the group was split on using it all the time. Many felt always using correctly helped educate the unknowing public. Others felt that was aloof and put people off.

My view is we should do our best to use the correct pronunciation for all related terms, mame, shohin, nebari....etc. and to politely educate folks along the way.

More importantly how do you pronounce Worcester? Haha

Woosta of course! lol I actually lived there for a year and a half.

 

[whfarro]

Woosta of course! lol I actually lived there for a year and a half.

Yep. And how many variations do you hear from those outside the area. You don't intentionally say Wor-Chester, just so you don't offend someone. You say Woo-stah and hopefully they'll know better next time...LOL

 

[neptune13]

I'm not really out to teach anyone Japanese. I'm out to foster their interest in this stuff. I don't fault them for pronouncing an unfamiliar foreign word incorrectly. Hell, I'M probably mispronouncing it slightly too.

I shudder at the thought of trying to "correct" mame, shohin, etc. with people, even other non-Japanese bonsaiists. That's a slippery slope to irritating pretension. What about Yose ue, sashe eda, and about a hundred others? I have no idea how to pronounce those...Don't really need to. "Group planting" and "first branch" work for me, but I'm an unsophisticated 'mericun.

All I'm saying is, I was corrected about the pronunciation once. I didn't take offense. Even still I'm asking on a forum to make sure I'm not spreading misinformation. If I hadn't been corrected I still wouldn't know. I just don't understand why people are offended by things like that. If I said it wrong, I said it wrong. No big deal. And I'm proud to be Murican!

 

[M. Frary]

Bones eye. Bone sigh. Bonz eye. Baun sigh. I use all. Why not. It isn't my language and whichever way I say it the trees don't care one iota.
I rarely get to speak verbally with other people who this matters to. When I'm talking to my wife it's just the trees.
Need to go water trees. Need to dig trees. Need to trim the trees. That kind of thing. I rarely use the word bonsai. Maybe I should start.

 

[coh]

I grew up hearing "bonn sai". Most people know it as "bonn sai". So when I talk to most people I use "bonn sai". If I know the person well sometimes I'll mention what the correct pronunciation is. If I'm talking with other bonsai enthusiasts I usually use the "proper" pronunciation, but it doesn't really matter since they all know what I'm talking about.

FWIW, I've heard a number of well known practitioners use the "bonn sai" pronunciation even at shows when dealing with other enthusiasts. I won't mention names

It's one of those things that just doesn't really matter in the overall scheme of things.

 

[mcpesq817]

When I was at the ABS show, during one of Ryan Neil's demos, a conversation with the audience started about bonsai, what is American bonsai, etc. etc. Noting that the Chinese had penjing and the Japanese have bonsai, Ryan asked what should we call American bonsai. In response, someone from the audience yelled "Banzai!"

 

[armetisius]

Bones eye. Bone sigh. Bonz eye. Baun sigh. I use all. Why not. It isn't my language and whichever way I say it the trees don't care one iota.
I rarely get to speak verbally with other people who this matters to. When I'm talking to my wife it's just the trees.
Need to go water trees. Need to dig trees. Need to trim the trees. That kind of thing. I rarely use the word bonsai. Maybe I should start.

Mike why? By my age I have enough bad habits without having to cultivate
such a trite affectation. I doubt anyone ever involved with the craft would care
how it was said other than bahn zi!! like in that tacky b movie years ago.
And then it'd only be a chuckle.
Use "the trees" pretty regular or "the plants" myself.

 

[M. Frary]

Why not? It doesn't matter to the trees or really me for that matter.
No one here to try to impress with fancy words. Just me .

 

[rockm]

FWIW, the word DOES matter. We ARE practicing our form of an art that is from China and Japan. There is no other English word that really describes it. Tell someone you "do artful trees" or "I'm a miniature tree artist" and they step away from you slowly. Those words don't really cover what we do. It's not topiary. It's Bonsai.

 

[michaelj]

Bone sigh is correct, but sometimes, unless you put "trees" after it, people outside the bonsai community don't understand you. So I'll sometimes say it like banzai when talking to non-bonsai people, and they know what I'm saying. But once in a while, I'll slip a "banzai" pronunciation around bonsai people, and it feels very wrong.