珊瑚
sango[sã̠ŋɡo̞]
The Japanese word for coral is 珊瑚 (sango) or サンゴ.
Meaning: species or colony (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 珊瑚 | sango | [sã̠ŋɡo̞] (narrow) |
| サンゴ | sango |
The term refers to coral as a biological species or colony, and it can also refer to coral used as a material in items like jewelry or decorations.
Which one should you use?
The katakana version サンゴ is the standard for scientific or general contexts, while the kanji version 珊瑚 is preferred in artistic or traditional settings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
サンゴ is the common way to write the word in modern Japanese. 珊瑚 is a more formal, literary or traditional way to write it.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To describe something as being coral-colored, use the form 珊瑚色の.
How do you pronounce it?
sango
When do people say it?
In Japanese culture, coral carries symbolic meanings of longevity and protection against evil spirits.
Did you know?
- Japanese folklore sometimes associates 珊瑚 with the depths of the ocean and the mythical undersea kingdom of Ryūgū-jō.
- In old Japanese beliefs, 珊瑚 was sometimes thought to be a plant that grew in the sea, reflecting a misunderstanding of its biological nature.
- The word 珊瑚 is a 'loanword' from Middle Chinese, meaning the pronunciation 'sango' follows a historical evolution from Chinese rather than being a native Japanese word.
Examples in context
- 珊瑚は美しい海洋生物です。Coral is a beautiful marine organism.
- サンゴの色は本当に美しいよね。The color of coral is truly beautiful, don't you think?
- 海の中に綺麗な珊瑚が見えます。umi no naka ni kirei na sango ga miemasu.I can see beautiful coral in the sea.
- この珊瑚はとても珍しい種類です。kono sango wa totemo mezurashii shurui desu.This coral is a very rare species.
- 大きな珊瑚の塊が沈んでいます。ookina sango no katamari ga shizunde imasu.A large coral colony is submerged.
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are looking at photos from a diving trip.
- 美咲 Misaki見て、この珊瑚すごく鮮やかだよ。Mite, kono sango sugoku ayayaka dayo.Look, this coral is so vibrant.
- 蓮 Ren本当だね。どこで撮ったの？Hontou dane. Doko de totta no?You're right. Where did you take this?
- 美咲 Misaki沖縄の海で撮影したんだよ。Okinawa no umi de satsuei shita ndayo.I filmed it in the sea of Okinawa.
- 蓮 Renいいな。僕も珊瑚が見たいよ。Ii na. Boku mo sango ga mitai yo.That's great. I want to see coral too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “coral” translations and entries 珊瑚, サンゴ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 珊瑚, CC BY-SA 4.0.
