Banzai
/ˈbænzaɪ/noun
A Japanese cheer or exclamation meaning long life, victory, or hurrah.
Did you know?The phrase was originally a formal Japanese court acclamation, not a military slogan; crowds shouted it to wish the emperor or another honored person everlasting life.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese, before 600 CE
Old Chinese
萬
“Ten thousand; an immense number”
Middle Chinese, c. 600–900 CE
Middle Chinese
萬 (mwàn)
“Ten thousand; innumerable”
Early Japanese
Japanese
万 (man)
“Ten thousand”
Nara–Heian period, 8th–12th centuries
Japanese
万歳 (mansai)
“Ten thousand years; a formal wish for extraordinarily long life”
Modern Japanese
Japanese
ばんざい (banzai)
“A cry of celebration, triumph, or loyal acclamation”
19th–20th centuries
English
banzai
“A Japanese cheer, especially one associated historically with wartime attacks”