Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| アメリカの | Amerika no | |
| 米国の | Beikoku no | |
| アメリカン | Amerikan | [a̠me̞ɾʲikã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
| 米 | bei | [ko̞me̞] (narrow) |
These terms are used to describe things, people or culture pertaining to the United States. While アメリカの is the standard descriptor, other forms like the abbreviation 米 are used in specific compound words and the loanword アメリカン is used to describe specific styles or aesthetics.
What does it mean word for word?
In the phrase アメリカの, the particle の functions as a possessive or attributive marker that links the noun 'America' to the following noun, effectively meaning 'of' or 's'.
Which one should you use?
アメリカの is the most common and neutral way to say 'American' in everyday speech and writing. For a more formal or written-style tone, such as in news reports, official documents or academic contexts, use 米国の. The form アメリカン is a katakana loanword used primarily for stylistic purposes, such as describing 'American-style' food, culture or fashion. Finally, 米 is a kanji abbreviation used as a prefix in compound words, such as 米文学 (American literature).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
アメリカの is neutral and suitable for most situations. 米国の is a formal term used in official and academic writing. The abbreviation 米 is also a formal way to form compound words. For people, アメリカ人 is a common and respectful way to refer to an American, while 米国人 is a more formal way to say 'person from the United States'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The particle の in アメリカの serves to link the noun 'America' to the noun that follows it.
How do you pronounce it?
Amerika no
Did you know?
- The kanji used in the abbreviation for 'American' is the same character used for 'rice'.
- The character used for the abbreviation 米 is composed of the numbers 'eight', 'ten' and 'eight' written in a specific way.
- While アメリカの is common in speech, newspapers often use 米 as a one-character shorthand for 'the United States' to save space in headlines.
Examples in context
- 彼は米国の市民権を得た。He acquired American citizenship.This sentence is useful for describing the acquisition of citizenship using the form 米国の.Tatoeba #100157 by bunbuku, translation #303540 by CM
- 米文学の蔵書がたくさんある。I have a large library on American literature.This sentence shows how to use the abbreviated form 米 to describe American literature.Tatoeba #83482 by bunbuku, translation #261629 by CK
- ジョンはアメリカの少年です。John is an American boy.This sentence demonstrates the use of the common form アメリカの to describe a boy.Tatoeba #215424 by arnab, translation #52727 by CN
- 彼はアメリカ人です。He is American.
- 上司は米国人ですか？Is your boss an American?
- あの人はアメリカの人だよ。That person is from America.
- ジェーンさんはアメリカじんです。Jane is American.
- 35 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are talking about food at a cafe.
- 蓮 Renアメリカのビールはありますか？Amerika no biiru wa arimasu ka?Do you have American beer?
- 陽葵 Himariいいえ、日本のビールしかありません。Iie, Nihon no biiru shika arimasen.No, we only have Japanese beer.
- 蓮 Renそうですか。残念ですね。Sou desu ka. Zannen desu ne.I see. That's too bad.
- 陽葵 Himariごめんなさい、蓮さん。Gomen nasai, Ren-san.I am sorry, Ren.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “american” translations and entries アメリカン, 米, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries アメリカン, 米, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
