If you have studied languages such as Japanese, you have probably encountered the symbol “○○”.
I am told that there are two purposes for “○○”.
- To act as a placeholder for whatever word you like.
- To partially or completely censor a word that may cause offence or copyright infringement.
Personally, for (1), I use “X” in English, because that is what people use in algebra. For (2), I use “****” in English, because that seems to be one of the ways to censor a word.
What symbols are customarily used for “○○” in English?
Edit:
Alright, let's try some examples.
- 「○○にお茶がありますか」(English: “Is there tea on the X?”)
- 「○○な場所がありますか」(English: “Is there a place where it is X?”)
- 「ウ○クの方の、中○、韓○嫌いは異常」(English: “The r-ers’ hatred toward Chi** and Ko*** is unusual.”)
I hope that helps!