綿菓子
watagashi[β̞a̠ta̠ɡa̠ɕi]
In Japanese, the phrase for cotton candy is 綿菓子 (watagashi). Wiktionary also lists 綿飴 (wataame).
Meaning: spun sugar confectionery (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 綿菓子 | watagashi | [β̞a̠ta̠ɡa̠ɕi] (narrow) |
| 綿飴 | wataame | [β̞a̠ta̠ːme̞] (narrow) |
How do you pronounce it?
watagashi
Did you know?
- In Japan, you can find 綿菓子 shaped like elaborate animals or flowers, a style of artistry that far exceeds the standard cloud shape common in English-speaking countries.
- The 'gashi' sound in 綿菓子 is a result of rendaku, a linguistic phenomenon where the first consonant of the second part of a compound word becomes voiced.
- While 綿菓子 is common, you will also see 綿飴 (wata-ame). The word 飴 (ame) specifically refers to 'hard candy' or 'syrup', showing two different ways to conceptualize the sugar.
Examples in context
- いつか、綿菓子をつくる機械を買うんだ。Someday I will buy a cotton candy machine.This sentence shows how to express a desire to purchase a machine for making 綿菓子.Tatoeba #182298 by sugisaki, translation #1886 by Swift
- 甘い香りのするワタアメが大好きです。I love cotton candy that has a sweet scent.
- ワタアメが食べたい！I want to eat cotton candy!
- この綿菓子はとても大きいですね。Kono watagashi wa totemo ookii desu ne.This cotton candy is very big, isn't it?
- 子供は綿菓子を食べています。Kodomo wa watagashi o tabete imasu.The child is eating cotton candy.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are walking through a carnival.
- 美咲 Misaki見て、あの綿菓子すごくかわいい！Mite, ano watagashi sugoku kawaii!Look, that cotton candy is so cute!
- 蓮 Ren本当だね。蓮も食べてみたいな。Hontou da ne. Ren mo tabete mitai na.You're right. I want to try some too.
- 美咲 Misakiじゃあ、一緒に買いに行こうか。Jaa, issho ni kai ni ikou ka.Then, shall we go buy some together?
- 蓮 Ren賛成！あのお店に行こう。Sansei! Ano omise ni ikou.I agree! Let's go to that shop.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cotton candy” translations and entries 綿菓子, 綿飴, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 綿菓子, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
