竜
ryū[ɾʲɨː]
The English phrase "dragon" can be translated into Japanese as 竜 (ryū) or ドラゴン.
Meaning: mythical creature (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 竜 | ryū | [ɾʲɨː] (narrow) [ɾʲo̞ː] (narrow) |
| ドラゴン | doragon | [do̞ɾa̠ɡõ̞ɴ] (narrow) |
The word refers to a mythical creature. When referring specifically to the fruit known as dragon fruit, the katakana version ドラゴン is used in the phrase ドラゴンフルーツ.
Which one should you use?
The katakana loanword ドラゴン is more common in modern pop culture, such as video games, fantasy novels and Western-style fantasy settings.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is ryū.
Did you know?
- The Japanese zodiac uses the 竜 as the only mythical creature among the twelve animals.
- Japanese folklore often describes the 竜 as having the features of nine different animals, including a camel's head and a carp's scales.
- A common Japanese legend tells of the 'ascending dragon' where a carp that swims up a waterfall transforms into a 竜.
Examples in context
- 竜は空想上の生き物だ。The dragon is an imaginary creature.This sentence is useful for stating that 竜 is an imaginary creature.Tatoeba #1144488 by bunbuku, translation #325503 by CK
- お望みであれば、ドラゴンに乗る方法お見せするぜ。I could show you how to ride a dragon, if you wish.This sentence is useful for discussing how to ride a ドラゴン.Tatoeba #11643357 by small_snow, translation #8685207 by sabretou
- 私はドラゴンフルーツが好きだ。I like dragon fruit.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for ドラゴン fruit.Tatoeba #1608764 by Bah_Dure, translation #1604652 by Spamster
- 日本の伝説には、龍が登場します。Dragons appear in Japanese legends.
- 彼は龍に乗って空を飛んだと言われています。He is said to have flown in the sky on a dragon.
- このゲームはドラゴンが主人公です。In this game, the main character is a dragon.
- あの映画で凄いドラゴンが出てきましたよ！A fantastic dragon appeared in that movie!
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A boy and a girl are looking at a picture book in a library.
- 陽葵 Himariこの本には竜が出てくるの？Kono hon ni wa ryuu ga detekuru no?Does a dragon appear in this book?
- 蓮 Renうん、かっこいい竜がたくさんいるよ。Un, kakkoii ryuu ga takusan iru yo.Yeah, there are many cool dragons.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮くん、あの竜はすごく大きいね。Ren-kun, ano ryuu wa sugoku ookii ne.Ren, that dragon is really big, isn't it?
- 蓮 Ren本当だね。陽葵、見て、空を飛んでいるよ。Hontou da ne. Himari, mite, sora o tonde iru yo.You're right. Himari, look, it's flying in the sky.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dragon” translations and entries 竜, ドラゴン, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
