バンジョー
banjō[bã̠ɲ̟d͡ʑo̞ː]
The Japanese word for the musical instrument banjo is バンジョー (banjō).
This term refers to the banjo, the stringed musical instrument. It is a loanword from English.
Meaning: a musical instrument (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
As a loanword from English, it is written using the Katakana script, which is the standard script used in Japanese for foreign-derived words.
How do you pronounce it?
banjō
Did you know?
- While バンジョー refers to the Western instrument, Japan has a traditional plucked lute called the biwa that was historically used by blind monks to chant stories.
- The English 'banjo' is adapted into Japanese as バンジョー, which adds a long vowel sound at the end. This extra syllable changes the rhythmic beat of the word compared to the English original.
- Because バンジョー is written in Katakana, a Japanese reader knows it is a foreign object before they even read the sounds of the word.
Examples in context
- 彼はバンジョーを演奏しています。He plays the banjo.
- 彼はバンジョーを弾いています。Kare wa banjō o hiite imasu.He is playing the banjo.
- 店にバンジョーが置いてあります。Mise ni banjō ga oite arimasu.There is a banjo in the shop.
- このバンジョーはとても古いですね。Kono banjō wa totemo furui desu ne.This banjo is very old, isn't it?
Example conversation
Misaki and Hiroto are talking about musical instruments.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔さんは何か楽器ができますか？Hiroto-san wa nanika gakki ga dekimasu ka?Do you play any instruments, Hiroto?
- 大翔 Hiroto実は、最近バンジョーを始めました。Jitsu wa, saikin banjō o hajimemashita.Actually, I started playing the banjo recently.
- 美咲 Misakiすごい！バンジョーはかっこいいですね。Sugoi! Banjō wa kakkoii desu ne.Amazing! The banjo is so cool.
- 大翔 Hirotoありがとう。今度聴かせるね。Arigatō. Kondo kikaseru ne.Thanks. I'll let you hear it next time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “banjo” translations and entries バンジョー, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
