ミャンマー語
Myanmā-go
In Japanese, the term for the Burmese language is ミャンマー語 (Myanmā-go). Wiktionary also lists ビルマ語 (Biruma-go).
Meaning: language (name)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ミャンマー語 | Myanmā-go | |
| ビルマ語 | Biruma-go | [bʲiɾɯ̟ma̠ɡo̞] (narrow) |
The term refers to the language spoken in Myanmar. You can also use related forms to describe things related to the country or its people.
Which one should you use?
ミャンマー語 is the more modern and politically sensitive term for the language, whereas ビルマ語 is the older, traditional name for the language, often used in older texts or by older generations.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The suffix 語 (go) is attached to the name of a country or region to indicate the language of that place. To use 'Burmese' as an adjective meaning 'of or relating to Myanmar' (e.g., Burmese food), use the particle の after the country name.
How do you pronounce it?
Myanmā-go
Did you know?
- Because Japanese uses katakana to adapt foreign words, the name ビルマ is actually a phonetic approximation of the English 'Burma' rather than the way the name is pronounced in the native Burmese language.
- In Japanese media or academic settings, choosing between ミャンマー語 and ビルマ語 can signal a person's political stance or their preference for modern versus historical terminology.
- The transition from ビルマ to ミャンマー in Japanese reflects a diplomatic shift that occurred after the country changed its official name in 1989.
Examples in context
- 私ね、ビルマ語を習ってるのよ。I'm learning Burmese.This sentence shows how to express that you are learning the language using the form ビルマ語.Tatoeba #10085228 by small_snow, translation #3388355 by adamtrousers
- 昨日、ミャンマーの人に会いました。Yesterday, I met a person from Myanmar.
- ミャンマー語はとても難しいです。Myanmā-go wa totemo muzukashii desu.Burmese is very difficult.
- ミャンマー語の辞書を持っていますか？Myanmā-go no jisho o motte imasu ka?Do you have a Burmese dictionary?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their travel plans.
- 大翔 Hiroto来月、ミャンマーに行きます。raigetsu, myanmā ni ikimasuI am going to Myanmar next month.
- 美咲 Misakiいいですね。ミャンマー語は分かりますか。ii desu ne. myanmāgo wa wakarimasu kaThat's nice. Do you understand Burmese?
- 大翔 Hirotoいいえ、まだ勉強していません。ie, mada benkyō shite imasenNo, I haven't studied it yet.
- 美咲 Misaki簡単な挨拶だけ覚えるといいですよ。kantan na aisatsu dake oboeru to ii desu yoIt's a good idea to learn just some basic greetings.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “burmese” translations and entries ビルマ語, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ビルマ語, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
