セルシウス
Serushiusu
In Japanese, the phrase for Celsius can be expressed as 摂氏 or セルシウス (Serushiusu).
Meaning: related to a metric scale of temperature (adj)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| セルシウス | Serushiusu | |
| 摂氏 | Sesshi | [se̞ɕːi] (narrow) |
The term is an adjective related to the metric scale of temperature. When stating a specific temperature, you should follow the number with the counter 度 (do) to mean degrees, such as in 摂氏20度 (20 degrees Celsius).
What does it mean word for word?
The formal term 摂氏 (sesshi) is composed of the characters 摂 (to take/absorb) and 氏 (clan/family/name), serving as a technical name for the scale.
Which one should you use?
摂氏 (sesshi) is the standard technical term used in Japanese, whereas セルシウス (serushiusu) is a phonetic transliteration of the English word 'Celsius'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
摂氏 is the formal and standard term used in news, science and official documentation.
How do you pronounce it?
Serushiusu
Did you know?
- Japanese has a mirroring term 華氏 (kashi) for Fahrenheit. The character 華 refers to 'America' via its historical name for the United States, 'the flowery land'.
- The term 摂氏 was imported from China, where it was created as a translation of 'Celsius'. It uses the character 氏 to treat the scientist Anders Celsius as a family name or clan.
- While 摂氏 is the standard term, in casual conversation, many Japanese speakers simply use the word 度 (do) after a number to imply Celsius without naming the scale at all. For example, saying 20度 is often sufficient without needing to specify the scale.
Examples in context
- 水は摂氏０度で凍る。Water freezes at zero degrees Celsius.This sentence shows the use of 摂氏 when describing the freezing point of water.Tatoeba #143743 by tommy__san, translation #681014 by Source_VOA
- 水は摂氏100度で沸騰する。Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius.This sentence shows the use of 摂氏 when describing the boiling point of water.Tatoeba #143741 by KK_kaku_, translation #270789 by CK
- 頭で華氏から摂氏に変換した。I converted the temperature from Fahrenheit to Celsius in my head.This sentence shows how to use 摂氏 when discussing the conversion between Fahrenheit and Celsius.Tatoeba #11548129 by small_snow, translation #2308026 by CK
- 今日は摂氏３５度です。Today, the temperature is 35 degrees Celsius.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two people are discussing the weather forecast for a trip.
- 陽太 Yota明日の気温はセルシウスで何度になるかな？Ashita no kion wa serushiusu de nando ni naru kana?I wonder what the temperature will be in Celsius tomorrow?
- 陽葵 Himariだいたい20度くらいだと思うよ。Daitai nijū-do kurai da to omou yo.I think it will be around 20 degrees.
- 陽太 Yotaセルシウスで20度なら、ちょうどいいね。Serushiusu de nijū-do nara, chōdo ii ne.If it's 20 degrees Celsius, that's just right.
- 陽葵 Himariそうだね。散歩にぴったりの天気だよ。Sō da ne. Sanpo ni pittari no tenki da yo.It is. It's perfect weather for a walk.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “celsius” translations and entries 摂氏, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 摂氏, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
