Blood types 血液型 (=Ketsueki gata) Japanese culture
血液型 (=ketsueki gata) Blood type
「マギー先生の血液型は何ですか？」
(=Maggie sensei no ketsuekigata wa nan desu ka?)
“What is your blood type, Miss Maggie?”
「え〜と、A? B? C???」(=Eeto, ei? bii? cii???)
“Let me see, A? B? C???”
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Today I will talk about 血液型 (= ketsueki gata). But it has nothing to do with medicine.
As always, let’s look at the kanji first!
血液型 (=ketsueki gata) blood type
血 (chi/ketsu) blood
Ex. 輸血 (=yuketsu) blood transfusion
液 (eki) liquid, fluid
Ex. 液体 (=ekitai) liquid
型 (kei/kata/gata) mold, pattern, type, form, design
Ex. A型インフルエンザ (=Ei gata infuruenza) type A influenza
Ex. 型にはまった(=kata ni hamatta) conventional
Blood in Japanese is either 血液 (=ketsueki) or 血 (=chi). While 血液 (=ketsueki) is formal and can be used as a medical term, we use 血 (=chi) in a daily conversation.
Ex. “I am bleeding!” 血が出た(=chi ga deta)
(past tense but we also use it when we are bleeding.)
血が出ている(=chiga dete iru)→（more formal) 血が出ています (=chiga dete imasu.)
(We also say 出血 (=shukketsu) for bleeding. 出血している。(=Shukketsu shiteiru.) to be bleeing )
<Culture Note>
If you live in Japan, you may occasionally hear this question:
「あなたの血液型は何ですか？」 (=”Anata no ketsueki gata wa nan desu ka?)
“What is your blood type?”
or simply 「血液型何？」(=”Ketsueki gata nani?)
(It has the same meaning but is more casual.)
And when you answer, they might say,
「やっぱり！」(=”Yappari!”) “I thought so. “/ “I knew it. “/ “As I guessed.”
Many Japanese love to analyze your personality by blood type — just for fun.
There is no scientific evidence to support the correlation between someone’s blood type and their personality, but some people seem to be quite sure that our personalities are actually based on our blood type. There are stereo-typical personalities for each blood type. Try to search on internet with a word “血液型”(=ketsueki gata ). You will get tons of sites of 血液型占い(=ketsueki gata uranai) a fortune teller who goes by your blood type. 血液型性格判断(=ketsueki gata seikaku handan) a blood type based personality test. 血液型相性診断 (=ketsueki gata aishou shindan.) a blood type based (love-partner) compatibility test.
Here are some stereo-typed personalities for each blood type :
•A型 (=ei gata) type A
几帳面 (=kichoumen) well organized, 細かい (=komakai) meticulous, 気がつく (=kiga tsuku) attentive, 繊細 (=sensai ) sensitive, 時間に厳しい (=jikan ni kibishii) punctual, 綺麗好き(=kireizuki ) tidy
•O型 (=ou gata) type O
大ざっぱ (=ouzappa) rough in their ways (opposite of meticulous), 大らか (=ouraka) easy going 誰とでも上手くやれる (=dareto demo umaku yareru) get along with anybody
•B型 (=bii gata) type B
マイペース （=maipeesu）do things or live at one’s pace , 変わり者 (=kawarimono) eccentric
短気 (=tanki) short tempered 移り気 (=utsurigi) capricious
•AB型 (=aibii gata) Type AB
二重人格 (=nijuu jinkaku) double personalities. 変わり者 (=kawari mono) eccentric, 芸術の才能がある (=geijutsu no saino ga aru) gifted as an artist , many 天才(=tensai) genious people are AB. etc.
You can see they are totally biased.
There is a best seller book called 「A (B, O or AB)型自分の説明書」(A (B, O or AB) gata jibun no setsumeisho) “A manual for Blood type “A” (B, O or AB)” Many people say it is 「よく当たる!／当たってる 」(=”Yoku ataru/ atatteru) , very accurate.
This just goes to show just how much we believe in the accuracy of blood-type based personality analysis.
Many of us think the blood type is important factor to know our 相性 (=aishou) compatibility like 星占い (=hoshiuranai) or 占星術 (=senseijutsu) horoscope. Some blood personality checks also astrology.
There are even some companies that take the blood type so seriously that they decide their personnel based on the blood type and some people chose their partners by blood types.
Example sentences regarding the blood types.
•「彼はB型だから、私と相性が合わないの。」(=”Kare wa bii gata dakara watashi to aishou ga awanai no.)
“His blood type is B so I don’t get along with him.”
•「あの人はいい加減だからきっとO型だよ。」(=”Ano hito wa iikagen dakara kitto oogata dayo.)
“He is irresponsible so his blood type must be O.”
•「彼女って血液型ABじゃない？だってちょっと掴みどころがないもの。」
(“Kanojo tte ketsueki gata eibii janai? Datte chotto tsukamidokoro ga nai mono.)
“Her blood type must be AB because she is a bit enigmatic.”
•「私は、A型だから何でもきちっとしていないと嫌だ。」
(=”Watashi wa ei gata dakara nandemo kichitto shite inai to iya da.)
“My blood type is A so I can’t stand it if things are not in order.”
•「上司はB型の人間とは相性が合わないと言っている。」
(=Joushi wa bii gata no ningen towa aishou ga awanai to itte iru.)
“My boss says he doesn’t get along with blood type B people.”
•「あなたの血液型ってA型じゃない？何か細かいから…」
(=”Anata no kestuki gata tte ei gata janai ? Nanika komakai kara…)
“Isn’t your blood type A? You seem somehow meticulous to me.”
•「彼がB型って言うのは意外だ。大らかだからO型かと思った。」
(=”Kare ga bii gata tte iu no wa igai da. Ooraka dakara ou gata ka to omotta.)
“I didn’t expect his blood type was B. I thought he was type “O” because he is easy going.”
＜Related words＞
•性格 (=seikaku) personality
•性格がいい (=seikaku ga ii.)
to have a nice personality
•性格が悪い (=seikaku ga warui.)
to have a bad personality
•相性 (=aishou) chemistry
•相性がいい (=aishou ga ii)
to have good chemistry
Ex. 私達は相性がいい (=Watashitashi wa aishou ga ii.)
We have a good chemistry.
•相性が悪い (=aishou ga warui.)
to have a bad chemistry
Ex. 父と彼は相性が悪い。
My dad and my boyfriend don’t get along well. (My dad and my boyfriend have bad chemistry.)
•相性が合う (=aishou ga au.)
to get along well
Ex. マギーとクッキーは相性が合わない (=Maggie to Cookie towa aishou ga awanai.)
Maggie and Cookie don’t get along well.
マギー先生より (=Maggie sensei yori) From Maggie-sensei
犬の血液型は全部で１３種類以上もあるんですって。
(=Inu no ketsueki gata wa zenbu de juusan shurui ijou mo arun desutte.)
I heard there are more than 13 dog blood types.
私の血液型は知らないけど、きっと優しくて可愛い性格の血液型だと思うの…
(=Watashi no ketsueki gata wa shiranai kedo, kitto yasashikute kawaii seikaku no ketsueki gata dato omou no.)
I don’t know what my blood type is but I bet it is the one for “sweet” and “cute” personalities.
22 Responses to “Blood types 血液型 (=Ketsueki gata) Japanese culture”
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@maggiesensei 
L’astrologie des groupes sanguins: 血液型 « 茉莉音chan Marionchan on January 20th, 2012
[...] voir cet autre site également très bien fait http://www.maggiesensei.com/2009/11/28/%E8%A1%80%E6%B6%B2%E5%9E%8B%E3%80%80ketsueki-gata-japanese-cu… avec plein de vocabulaire et de phrases (en [...]
Chalkgoop on July 25th, 2011
I feel like the assumptions about blood type A are the worst XD
Maggie on July 25th, 2011
@Chalkgoop
Is your blood type A? Don’t worry. They are not accurate at all!
Cygnus on June 6th, 2011
輸血 (=yuketsu) blood infusion
I think the right term is “transfusion”, blood infusion sounds a little creepy (o_O’).
I found it very surprising that, at a recent interview, the interviewer said to my friend that her blood type wasn’t compatible with the company.
「合わないかな」だって。
そこまで大切だろう。信じられない。
Maggie on June 6th, 2011
@Cygnus
You are right. “infusion” is also listed in the dictionary but “transfusion” is more adequate. I will revise it.
そうですね、ある血液型が面接で落とされるという嘘の様な話も以前はよく聞きました。（→そこまで大切なんだろうか。信じられない。or そこまで大切なんて信じられない。）
sam on September 1st, 2010
my blood type is B all info r wrong about me!!!!!
i am easy going
luv 2 have fun
smiles alot
u cant make me mad easily because i am calm person
get along with everybody i am everyones friend
attractive
organised cant stand aplace which is not organised
confident
yeah thats me
Maggie on September 1st, 2010
@sam
Of course they are wrong and it is impossible to categorize everybody in just 4 types. Sounds like you are a lovely person like me!
Finapon on April 7th, 2010
@Bridget Nazis did quite a lot of absurd “research”, this blood type thing would fit into it.
Nevertheless I thought the japanese came up with this, as an equivalent to the western astrology ^__^”
Thank you for this great article and cute pic Maggie先生 !!
Love,
Fina
Maggie on April 7th, 2010
Fina-chan,
Finaponのコメントありがと〜〜う！！I think I have learned a lot since I wrote this article reading through the comments as well. Ahhh…so many things to learn in this world besides where to dig a hole to hide my bone!
Panda on December 11th, 2009
This explains so much! I was always so confused on how a lot of Japanese profiles and such have the blood type yet I don’t even know my own. Thanks for the help! I’m really liking this website!
Yukari on December 11th, 2009
Panda-san,
Thank you for your comment! Glad to hear this lesson was helpful!
Please visit here again!
Bridget on December 8th, 2009
Before & during the second world war, the Nazis were also obsessed with this “blood type + personality” nonsense, and supposedly did quite a bit of “research” on it.
It’s always important to remember whose side Japan was on during the second world war.
I know that in Japan, people treat it like a horoscope, you know, like, just for fun, but if they knew where most of this “information” on blood types came from, I’m sure they’d be pretty surprised.
Anyway, I refuse to take part in any of their little customs to keep from placing me into any kind of stereotype, be it from my blood type, nationality, or whatever. It’s annoying.
Maggie on December 7th, 2009
Joe-san,
Yes! Please visit here again!
Jane!
Tweets that mention Maggie Blog » Blood types 血液型 (=Ketsueki gata) Japanese culture -- Topsy.com on December 7th, 2009
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Geoffrey Williams, Maggie Popcorn. Maggie Popcorn said: New lessons on blood type & booze! Also pls send links to other good learning sites. http://tinyurl.com/yhmalk7 http://tinyurl.com/ykk6g3w [...]
Joe on December 7th, 2009
Actually, fureto-san isn’t massively off the mark with his Nazis comment. I heard that the original Japanese blood-type research was a response to a western study which claimed that Asian people were closer to animals because type B is more common in both animals and in Asian people.
It’s obviously nonsense, mind.
The blood-type obsession in Japan is one of my pet hates. It drives me up the wall.
This is the first time I’ve seen your blog, Maggie, and I think I’ll be back. Nice to see lots of Kanji and example sentences and stuff.
I’ll be following on twitter too.
locohama on December 7th, 2009
great site you got here. thanks for the blood type lesson (-:
Maggie on December 7th, 2009
locohama-san
Thank you for your comment!
Mata kitene!
guesa on December 4th, 2009
It’s so crazy, I’ve seen people get along great at first but then when they learn each others blood types stop liking each other. PS- Maggiesensei.com is the bomb!
Yukari on December 4th, 2009
guesa-san,
Thank you for your comment.
Really? Just like that? It is one of the extreme cases, huh?
MediaMaster9000 on December 4th, 2009
@furetosan
Wow, the ignorance in that comment is so extreme that it doesn’t even warrant a response beyond what I have now written. Also, I ask that you please not pro-create and perpetuate the cycle of ignorance any further than you’ve already taken it.
@Victor
Thanks for this great post man. I’ve been reading a book called “The Japanese have a word for it, but they don’t think you’ll understand.” Kind of a long title I know, but it said that some Japanese take blood type very seriously like you said. I hope they don’t read into my blood type too closely because it won’t be very accurate. I’m type A but completely unorganized in many ways. lol
Anyway, thanks for this insightful language lesson. I’ve still got a ways to go in learning the language, but your work puts me one step closer each time. Thanks.
furetosan on November 28th, 2009
Sounds like something a Nazi would have developed… Just saying!
Maggie on November 30th, 2009
furetosan,
最初にコメントにNaziって書いてあるのを見て正直ちょっとびっくりしました。いろいろ調べたらそんな驚きの歴史もあったのですね。血液型で差別をすることがあるとしたら本当に馬鹿げていると思います。