Javanese vs. Japanese — What's the Difference?

Javanese, primarily spoken on the island of Java in Indonesia, boasts over 82 million speakers. It features a distinct level of speech levels indicating formality and social hierarchy. On the other hand, Japanese, spoken by about 128 million people in Japan, incorporates a similar respect level system through honorifics and different politeness levels, reflecting the speaker's and listener's relative social statuses.

While Javanese uses a Latin script predominantly since the 20th century, it also has its traditional script known as Hanacaraka or Carakan, used historically and in cultural contexts. Japanese, however, employs a complex writing system that includes kanji (characters borrowed from Chinese), as well as two syllabic scripts, hiragana and katakana.

Javanese grammar is not as rigid as that of Japanese. It does not employ verb conjugation to indicate tenses; instead, it uses context and time words to convey temporal aspects. In contrast, Japanese verbs are inflected to indicate tense, mood, and level of politeness.

The phonology of Javanese is marked by a relatively simple vowel inventory and a notable feature called the ngoko and kromo forms, where vocabulary choice indicates formality. Meanwhile, Japanese phonology includes pitch accent, which can change the meaning of words depending on their pitch.

Javanese culture heavily influences its language, with vocabulary rich in terms relating to the indigenous and colonial history of Java. Conversely, Japanese language has absorbed numerous loanwords from Chinese, English, and other languages, reflecting its history of interaction and modernization.