How to Say “Born” in Japanese

生まれた
umareta
The Japanese word for "born" is 生まれた (umareta).
In Japanese, 'born' is expressed as an intransitive verb (to be born) rather than a passive construction (to be given birth to).
Meaning: given birth to (adj)

What does it mean word for word?

The base form is the intransitive verb 生まれる, which literally means "to be born".

How does it change in a sentence?

The form 生まれた is the past tense of the verb 生まれる. The dictionary form 生まれる can be used to express the future event of being born.

How do you pronounce it?

umareta

Did you know?

  • The kanji 生 in 生まれた has multiple pronunciations, and when it refers to 'raw' or 'fresh' foods, it is pronounced nama instead of u.
  • In Japanese, you can use 生まれる to describe the 'birth' of a baby animal, but for insects or fish hatching from eggs, the word 孵る is used instead.
  • While 生まれた is the standard way to say 'born', the phrase お生まれになった is used to show respect when asking about someone else's birthplace.

Examples in context

  • ここで生まれたの?
    Were you born here?
    This sentence is useful for asking if someone was born in a specific location using 生まれた.
    Tatoeba #8717708 by small_snow, translation #3177205 by Hybrid
  • そこで生まれたの?
    Were you born there?
    Tatoeba #8728761 by small_snow, translation #4495950 by CK
  • 彼女は昨年生まれた。
    She was born last year.
    This sentence is useful for stating that someone was born in a specific year using 生まれた.
    Tatoeba #89873 by bunbuku, translation #313842 by CK
  • 私 (わたし) は 京都 (きょうと) で 生まれました。
    I was born in Kyoto.
  • 私 (わたし) は 東京 (とうきょう) で 生まれたよ。
    I was born in Tokyo.
  • 152 more sentences on Tatoeba

Example conversation

Hiroto and Misaki are talking about their hometowns.

  1. 大翔 Hiroto

    美咲さんはどこで生まれたの?
    Misaki-san wa doko de umareta no?
    Where were you born, Misaki?
  2. 美咲 Misaki

    私は北海道で生まれたよ。
    Watashi wa Hokkaido de umareta yo.
    I was born in Hokkaido.
  3. 大翔 Hiroto

    そうなんだ。いいところだよね。
    Sou nanda. Ii tokoro da yo ne.
    I see. That's a great place.
  4. 美咲 Misaki

    大翔さんはどこで生まれたの?
    Hiroto-san wa doko de umareta no?
    Where were you born, Hiroto?

Sources

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Rebecca Phoebe
Rebecca PhoebeHelp make this guide better. Spot a mistake, know another way to say it, or have an example from real life? Share it below.
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