アメリカ
Amerika[a̠me̞ɾʲika̠]
In Japanese, the English phrase "America" is referred to as アメリカ (Amerika).
In Japanese, the word アメリカ is commonly used to refer specifically to the United States, whereas in English 'America' can sometimes refer to the entire American continent.
Which one should you use?
For the full formal name of the country, use アメリカ合衆国. In journalistic or more formal contexts, the kanji-based term 米国 is often used. Additionally, 亜米利加 is a regional variation used by older generations and in traditional contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
You can use the term to form other descriptions, such as アメリカ人 for an American person or アメリカ文化 for American culture.
How do you pronounce it?
Amerika
Did you know?
- Japanese speakers often use the phrase アメリカンサイズ to describe anything from a burger to a hotel room that is surprisingly large compared to Japanese standards.
- If you see the single character 米 in a news headline regarding international relations, it is often a shorthand abbreviation for 'America'.
- The kanji combination 亜米利加 is an example of 'ateji', where kanji are chosen for their phonetic sounds rather than their meanings to represent a foreign word.
Examples in context
- アメリカは強い。America is strong.This sentence uses アメリカ to describe the strength of the country.Tatoeba #12056091 by xyz_13, translation #13965935 by Leglaine
- アメリカ出身です。I'm from the United States of America.This sentence uses アメリカ to indicate one's place of origin.Tatoeba #10838415 by small_snow, translation #7790119 by Ricardo14
- 彼はアメリカに戻った。He returned to America.This sentence uses アメリカ to indicate a destination for return.Tatoeba #114832 by bunbuku, translation #288839 by CK
- 昨年、私は アメリカ に旅行しました。Last year, I traveled to America.
- 161 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their dream travel destinations.
- 大翔 Hirotoいつかアメリカに行きたいです。Itsuka amerika ni ikitai desu.I want to go to America someday.
- 美咲 Misakiいいですね。どこに行きたいですか？Ii desu ne. Doko ni ikitai desu ka?That sounds great. Where do you want to go?
- 大翔 Hirotoニューヨークかロサンゼルスがいいです。Nyūyōku ka rozanzerusu ga ii desu.New York or Los Angeles would be good.
- 美咲 Misakiアメリカはとても広いですよね。Amerika wa totemo hiroi desu yo ne.America is very large, isn't it?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry アメリカ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
