Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| バスケットボール | basukettobōru | [ba̠sɨ̥ke̞t̚to̞bo̞ːɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
| バスケ | basuke | [ba̠sɨ̥ke̞] (narrow) |
| 籠球 | rōkyū | [ɾo̞ːkʲɨː] (narrow) |
The word refers to the sport of basketball. In everyday Japanese, you will most often hear the shortened version, バスケ, while the full loanword バスケットボール is used for standard or more formal contexts. There is also a rare kanji term, 籠球, which is primarily used in academic or historical settings.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 籠球 is a literal translation composed of the characters for basket (籠) and ball (球).
Which one should you use?
バスケットボール is the full, standard loanword, whereas バスケ is much more frequent in daily speech. 籠球 is a rare kanji-based term that differs from the common loanword-based versions.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
バスケットボール is the formal way to say the sport. In casual conversation, the shortened form バスケ is the common way to refer to it.
How do you pronounce it?
basukettobōru
Did you know?
- The kanji term 籠球 is so rare that many modern Japanese speakers cannot read it without the help of furigana phonetic guides.
- In Japanese schools, basketball is often grouped under 部活 or 'club activities', where the バスケ部 is one of the most competitive and high-pressure social circles for students.
- Because 籠 means 'basket' and 球 means 'ball', the word 籠球 looks visually similar to 蹴球, the old kanji term for 'soccer' (literally 'kick ball').
Examples in context
- バスケ得意？Are you good at basketball?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is good at バスケ.Tatoeba #8612397 by small_snow, translation #5105564 by AlanF_US
- バスケやるの得意？Are you good at playing basketball?Tatoeba #8825949 by bunbuku, translation #7935766 by CK
- バスケは上手いの？Do you play basketball well?This sentence is useful for asking if someone plays バスケ well.Tatoeba #9799300 by bunbuku, translation #69204 by CK
- 今週末、友達とバスケットボールをしよう！Let's play basketball with friends this weekend!
- 昨日、学校のバスケで素晴らしいシュートを決めたよ！Yesterday, I made an amazing shot in school basketball!
- バスケは最高のスポーツだと思う。I think basketball is the best sport.
- 50 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are talking about their hobbies at school.
- 蓮 Ren蓮はバスケットボールが好きですか？Ren wa basukettobōru ga suki desu ka?Do you like basketball, Ren?
- 結衣 Yuiはい、とても好きです。Hai, totemo suki desu.Yes, I like it very much.
- 蓮 Renいつからバスケットボールを始めたの？Itsu kara basukettobōru o hajimeta no?When did you start playing basketball?
- 結衣 Yui小学生の時に始めました。Shōgakusei no toki ni hajimemashita.I started when I was in elementary school.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “basketball” translations and entries バスケットボール, バスケ, 籠球, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
