粘土
nendo[nẽ̞ndo̞]
The Japanese word for clay is 粘土 (nendo).
Meaning: mineral substance (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the kanji 粘 (sticky) and 土 (earth/soil).
How do you pronounce it?
nendo
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the word 粘る derived from the same root as 粘土 can be used metaphorically to mean 'to be tenacious' or 'to persist' in a difficult situation.
- The kanji 土 in 粘土 is also used to name 'Saturday' as 土曜日, because the day is associated with the element of earth.
- If you are looking for traditional pottery clay, you might encounter the term 陶土, which uses the kanji for 'pottery' instead of 'stickiness'.
Examples in context
- 煉瓦の大部分は粘土からなっている。Bricks consist mostly of clay.This sentence is useful for learning how to express that bricks are made of 粘土.Tatoeba #77428 by wat, translation #326291 by muitoazul
- この粘土はとても柔らかいです。Kono nendo wa totemo yawarakai desu.This clay is very soft.
- 粘土で動物の形を作りました。Nendo de doubutsu no katachi o tsukurimashita.I made the shape of an animal with clay.
Example conversation
Two people are doing a craft workshop together.
- 陽葵 Himariこの粘土、使いやすいですね。Kono nendo, tsukaiyasui desu ne.This clay is easy to use, isn't it?
- 健太 Kentaはい、陽葵さんの作った粘土の犬は可愛いです。Hai, Himari-san no tsukutta nendo no inu wa kawaii desu.Yes, the clay dog you made, Himari, is cute.
- 陽葵 Himariありがとうございます。健太さんも作りますか？Arigatou gozaimasu. Kenta-san mo tsukurimasu ka?Thank you. Will you make one too, Kenta?
- 健太 Kentaええ、僕も挑戦してみます。Ee, boku mo chousen shite mimasu.Yes, I will give it a try too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “clay” translations and entries 粘土, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
