ケーキ
kēki[ke̞ːkʲi]
The English word "cake" is translated into Japanese as ケーキ (kēki). Wiktionary also lists お菓子 (okashi).
Meaning: type of sweet dessert (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ケーキ | kēki | [ke̞ːkʲi] (narrow) |
| お菓子 | okashi | [o̞ka̠ɕi] (narrow) |
In Japanese, ケーキ almost always refers specifically to Western-style cakes, such as a strawberry shortcake, rather than traditional Japanese sweets.
Which one should you use?
Use ケーキ when you are referring specifically to Western-style sponge cakes or pastries. In contrast, お菓子 is a much broader term used to refer to the general category of sweets, including candies, cookies and traditional Japanese treats.
How do you pronounce it?
kēki
Did you know?
- Japanese Christmas traditions involve eating a specific type of ケーキ called 'Christmas Cake', which is typically a cream-covered sponge cake topped with strawberries.
- The term お菓子 is so broad that it can include savory snacks like rice crackers, which an English speaker would never call 'sweets'.
- The polite prefix お in お菓子 is often used even when the speaker is not trying to be formal, as it has become an integral part of the word for sweets.
Examples in context
- ケーキをどうぞ。Help yourself to the cake.This sentence is useful for offering someone cake using ケーキ.Tatoeba #225312 by bunbuku, translation #62648 by CK
- ケーキ作ったの？Did you bake a cake?This sentence is useful for asking if someone baked a cake using ケーキ.Tatoeba #11156778 by small_snow, translation #4424565 by AlanF_US
- ケーキが欲しい。I want cake.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire for cake using ケーキ.Tatoeba #11795532 by small_snow, translation #10053213 by ddnktr
- 今日のデザートに何かケーキをご用意していますか？Are there any cakes available for today's dessert?
- 235 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are at a cafe looking at the menu.
- 蓮 Ren陽葵、何を注文する？Himari, nani o chuumon suru?Himari, what are you going to order?
- 陽葵 Himari私はチョコレートケーキを食べるね。Watashi wa chokoreeto keeki o taberu ne.I'll have the chocolate cake.
- 蓮 Renいいな。僕もケーキにしようかな。Ii na. Boku mo keeki ni shiyou kana.Nice. Maybe I'll get a cake too.
- 陽葵 Himari店員さんに注文しよう！Ten'in-san ni chuumon shiyou!Let's order from the server!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cake” translations and entries ケーキ, お菓子, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
