バクー
Bakū[ba̠kɯ̟ː]
バクー (Bakū) is the Japanese way to say Baku, the capital city of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Meaning: the capital city of the Republic of Azerbaijan (name)
Which one should you use?
バクー is the standard name for the city, while バクちゃん is an informal version used to sound cute and affectionate.
How do you pronounce it?
Bakū
Did you know?
- The word バク is a homonym for the 'baku', a mythical Japanese chimera known for eating nightmares. This makes the city name sound like a supernatural creature to Japanese ears.
- If the long vowel is omitted, バク is the Japanese word for a tapir.
- Because バク refers to both a mythical dream-eater and a tapir, these images are occasionally used as visual puns when discussing the city.
Examples in context
- バクーはとても美しい街です。Bakū wa totemo utsukushii machi desu.Baku is a very beautiful city.
- 来年、バクーへ旅行に行きたいです。Rainen, Bakū e ryokō ni ikitai desu.I want to go on a trip to Baku next year.
- アゼルバイジャンの首都はバクーです。Azerubaijan no shuto wa Bakū desu.The capital of Azerbaijan is Baku.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about travel plans at a cafe.
- 蓮 Ren結衣さんはどこか旅行に行きたいですか？Yui-san wa dokoka ryokō ni ikitai desu ka?Yui, is there somewhere you want to travel to?
- 結衣 Yuiバクーに行ってみたいです。Bakū ni itte mitai desu.I want to try going to Baku.
- 蓮 Renバクーは面白い街だそうですよ。Bakū wa omoshiroi machi da sō desu yo.I heard Baku is an interesting city.
- 結衣 Yui蓮さんも一緒に行きませんか？Ren-san mo issho ni ikimasen ka?Ren, wouldn't you like to go with me?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “baku” translations and entries バクー, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
