If you have ever visited Japan or stayed in Japan for quite some time, you have probably noticed that a lot of Japanese people ask “what is your blood type?”. This question is one of the most common questions that Japanese people ask. In Japan, it is perfectly fine to ask about a person’s blood type, especially if you want to get to know someone very well instantly, in particular, on a blind date. The reason is that Japanese people believe that each blood type has its own distinct personality and it is the quickest way to determine a person’s temperament and even compatibility with others. You may feel confused as to why people ask about blood types in Japan, but don’t worry. If you are asked this by a Japanese, that means that the person wants to get to know you better.

So who developed this concept? The blood type personality theory was developed by a Japanese person named Masahiko Nomi who graduated from the University of Tokyo. He began his first career as a journalist and his first book “Understanding Affinity by Blood Type” became a bestseller in the 1970s. The idea then spread outward and it is popular in some Asian countries, such as South Korea and Taiwan. You are probably wondering, ‘so what’s this all about?’, so let’s have a look at the description of each blood type to see if it matches with your personality. Then let’s look at the compatibility of blood types.

1. Blood Type A

According to the Japanese blood type personality chart, it is said that people with blood type A are known to be diplomatic and friendly, however due to their sensitive natures, they prefer staying alone to being in a group; therefore they may feel uncomfortable in crowded areas or parties. Also, they are fragile-hearted and easily get hurt, therefore it takes time for them to open up to people. Others may take this negatively and view them as snobs, since people with blood type A are good at hiding their feelings and do not express themselves a lot compared to other blood types such as blood type B or O. If you want to be friends with a person with Blood Type A, the best way is to be patient and get to know them slowly. Once you get to know them you will find that they are very friendly and down to earth! Also, they are punctual and always expect the best results in everything they do, therefore others seem them as perfectionists. When people describe blood type A, you will often hear:

A型は、几帳面で細かいそうです。
Aがたは、きちょうめんでこまかいそうです。
A-gata wa, kichōmen de komakai sō desu.
“People with type A blood are earnest and sensitive.”

Blood Type A Personality in Japanese

• 几帳面 (きちょうめん, kichōmen) = “methodical”
• 慎重 (しんちょう, shinchō) = “cautious”
• こだわりが強い (こだわりがつよい, kodawari ga tsuyoi) = “stubborn”
• 細かい (こまかい, komakai) = “detailed”

Blood Type Compatibility for A

• The best blood type compatibility is O, followed by A.
• The worst blood type compatibility is B.

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2. Blood Type B

According to the Japanese blood type personality chart, it is said that B types are the most outgoing compared to other blood types. Also they are independent and are passionate about the things that they are interested in. Type Bs always seek stimulation and they are not afraid of speaking their minds. Therefore, they can be seen as self-centered because they express their opinion, regardless of what the other person might feel.

In Japan, men with blood type B have a negative reputation for being playboys and for not suitable for a stable relationship. But don’t worry, although blood type B has a negative reputation for being the blood type of playboys, there are many positive traits too. They are curious, honest and enjoy attention, therefore people with blood type B can make friends easily, like a social butterfly! When people describe blood type B, you will often hear:

B型は、創造的で楽観的なようです。
Bがたは、そうぞうてきでらっかんてきなようです。
B-gata wa, sōzōteki de rakkanteki na yō desu.
“People with blood type B are creative and optimistic.”

Blood Type B Personality in Japanese

• 創造的 (そうぞうてき, sōzōteki) “creative”
• 楽観的 (らっかんてき, rakkanteki) “optimistic”
• 利己的 (りこてき, rikoteki) “selfish”
• 無責任 (むせきにん, musekinin) “irresponsible”

Blood Type Compatibility for B

• The best blood type compatibility is AB, followed by O.
• The worst blood type compatibility is A.

3. Blood Type O

They are known to be energetic, practical and friendly. Also blood type O is labeled as a natural leader. They are experts at expressing their opinions in a constructive way, making sure that everyone listens to them, while still being friendly to everyone. They know how to control their emotions very well, giving others a great impression of being stable and under control. Research indicates that blood type O is the most prefered blood type by CEOs and coworkers because of the traits mentioned above. However, although they might have a reputation of being strong outside, they are very sensitive inside. People with blood type O have some difficulties expressing their feelings due to a fear of rejection and also they tend to burn themselves out trying to get things done perfectly. The best way to describe type Os in Japanese is:

O型の人は情熱的だと言われています。
Oがたのひとはじょうねつてきだといわれています。
Ō-gata no hito wa jōnetsuteki da to iwarete imasu.
“It’s said that people with type O blood are passionate.”

Blood Type O Personality in Japanese

• おおらか(おおらか, ōraka) = “easygoing”
• 社交的 (しゃこうてき, shakōteki) = “outgoing”
• 高慢 (こうまん, kōman) = “arrogant”
• 嫉妬深い (しっとぶかい, shittobukai) = “jealous”

Blood Type Compatibility for O

• The best blood type compatibility is A, followed by B.
• The worst blood type compatibility is AB.

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4. Blood Type AB

They are the most interesting type compared to the others because this blood type is labeled as either genius or psycho. They are unpredictable because they often jump around from one activity to the next and their temperament is mixture of blood type A and B, therefore their personalities change quickly depending on their mood and the situation, and sometimes they don’t have control over it. Also type ABs are rational thinkers, therefore they cannot stand it when they find some situations to be irrational. As a result, they may have some difficulties interacting with people, giving others the wrong impression of being moody or two-faced. One of the ways to describe blood type ABs is:

日本でAB型の人は少ないです。
にほんでABがたのひとはすくないです。
Nihon de ĒBī-gata no hito wa sukunai desu.
“We don’t have many people with the AB blood type in Japan.”

Blood Type AB Personality in Japanese

• 合理的 (ごうりてき, gōriteki) = “rational”
• 才能がある (さいのうがある, sainō ga aru) = “to be talented”
• 批判的 (ひはんてき, hihanteki) = “critical”
• 風変わり (ふうがわり, fūgawari) = “eccentric”

Blood Type Compatibility for AB

• The best blood type compatibility is AB, followed by B.
• The worst blood type compatibility is O.

Now, let’s have a look at few useful Japanese sentences which you can use right away.

5. Talking about Your Blood Type in Japanese

“What’s your blood type?”

• Informal: (あなたの)血液型は何型？ ((あなたの)けつえきがたはなにがた？ Anata no ketsueki-gata wa nani-gata?)
• Formal: (あなたの)血液型は何型ですか。 ((あなたの)けつえきがたはなにがたですか。 Anata no ketsueki-gata wa nani-gata desu ka.)

“My blood type is…”:

• Informal: 私の血液型は、…。 (わたしのけつえきがたは、…。 Watashi no ketsueki-gata wa, … )
• Formal: 私の血液型は、…です。 (わたしのけつえきがたは、…です。 Watashi no ketsueki-gata wa, … desu.)

Example:

A: なおこの血液型は何型？
A: (なおこのけつえきがたはなにがた？ Naoko no ketsueki-gata wa nani-gata?)
A: “What’s Naoko’s blood type?”

B: なおこの血液型は、O型。
B: (なおこのけつえきがたは、Oがた。, Naoko no ketsueki-gata wa, O-gata.)
B: “Naoko’s blood type is O.”

6. How JapanesePod101 Can Help You Learn more Japanese

You’ve learned some secret Japanese blood type personalities with useful Japanese phrases to describe your blood type personality.

To sum up, we had a look at each blood type and its personality and temperament, and blood type compatibility for each type. Do you think that they are true? Also, do you know how to describe your personality in Japanese? JapanesePod101 has prepared a list of useful Japanese adjectives to describe your personality for you to study. It is available online, so feel free to download it for free.

So next time you run into a Japanese person and want to understand their personality quickly, why not ask a simple question, like:

血液型は何型ですか。
ketsueki-gata wa nani-gata desu ka.
“What is your blood type?”

JapanesePod101 has many vocabulary lists available on our website for you to download for free. Why don’t you prepare a self-introduction, including your blood type and your personality in Japanese? Click “10 Lines You Need for Introducing Yourself” to learn practical phrases in Japanese.

Thank you and we hope that you enjoy learning Japanese!