ピーマン
pīman[pʲiːmã̠ɴ]
In Japanese, the English phrase 'bell pepper' is translated as ピーマン (pīman). Wiktionary also lists パプリカ (papurika).
Meaning: spicy-sweet fruit (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ピーマン | pīman | [pʲiːmã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
| パプリカ | papurika | [pa̠pɯ̟ɾʲika̠] (narrow) |
The word for bell pepper is ピーマン.
Which one should you use?
In Japan, ピーマン specifically refers to the green, slightly bitter variety of bell pepper. The term パプリカ is used to refer to the sweeter, often colorful varieties like red or yellow bell peppers.
How do you pronounce it?
pīman
Did you know?
- The word ピーマン is not a shortening of 'pepper man', despite how it sounds to an English speaker.
- Because ピーマン is often associated with a bitter taste, it is a common vegetable for children to dislike in Japanese school lunches.
- The word ピーマン is actually a linguistic traveler that came to Japan via French, rather than English or Dutch.
Examples in context
- みなさん、ピーマンはお好きですか？Do you all like bell peppers?
- ピーマンって、サラダに入れるとおいしいよね！Bell peppers taste delicious when you put them in salads, don't they?
- ピーマンが好きです。piiman ga suki desu.I like bell peppers.
- 今日の夕食はピーマンの炒め物です。kyou no yuushoku wa piiman no itamemono desu.Today's dinner is a bell pepper stir-fry.
- ピーマンを三つ切ってください。piiman o mittsu kitte kudasai.Please cut three bell peppers.
Example conversation
A couple is shopping for vegetables at a supermarket.
- 美咲 Misaki陽太、ピーマンも買っておこう。Youta, piiman mo katte okou.Youta, let's buy some bell peppers too.
- 陽太 Yotaいいよ。新鮮なピーマンがあるね。Ii yo. Shinsenna piiman ga aru ne.Okay. There are some fresh bell peppers here.
- 美咲 Misakiじゃあ、これを入れて。Jaa, kore o irete.Then, please put these in.
- 陽太 Yotaわかった。カゴに入れておくね。Wakatta. Kago ni irete oku ne.Got it. I'll put them in the basket.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bell pepper” translations and entries ピーマン, パプリカ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries パプリカ, ピーマン, CC BY-SA 4.0.
