卵
tamago[ta̠ma̠ɡo̞]
The English word egg is expressed in Japanese as 卵 (tamago). If unsure, use 卵. Wiktionary also lists 鶏卵 (keiran).
Meaning: edible egg of a domestic fowl, the contents of such an egg or eggs used as food (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 卵 | tamago | [ta̠ma̠ɡo̞] (narrow) [ɾã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
| 鶏卵 | keiran | [ke̞ːɾã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
卵 is a broad term used for eggs of various animals, including bird eggs or fish eggs like caviar, though it most often refers to chicken eggs in a culinary context.
Which one should you use?
While 卵 is the common word for egg, 鶏卵 is a more formal or technical term specifically referring to chicken eggs.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
tamago
Did you know?
- The word 卵 is a combination of the characters for 'ball' and 'child'.
- When referring to fish eggs or caviar, the word 卵 is often used, but the specific term いくら is used for salmon roe, which is a loanword from Russian.
- When reading the formal term 鶏卵, the pronunciation of 'egg' changes from 'tamago' to 'ran'.
Examples in context
- 卵、茹でたよ。I boiled an egg.This sentence is useful for seeing how to express that an egg was boiled using 卵.Tatoeba #9796100 by small_snow, translation #9795885 by eleutherothentes1
- 卵が割れてる。The egg is cracked.This sentence is useful for describing a cracked egg using 卵.Tatoeba #11851974 by small_snow, translation #12342140 by CK
- この卵は新しいよ。This egg is fresh.This sentence is useful for stating that an egg is fresh using 卵.Tatoeba #219212 by bunbuku, translation #56528 by CK
- Watashi wa tamago o tabemasu (私は卵を食べます)I eat eggs
- Watashi wa medamayaki ga sukidesu (私は目玉焼きが好きです)I like fried eggs
- 61 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Himari and Yota are preparing breakfast in the kitchen.
- 陽葵 Himari陽太、卵はどこにある？Yota, tamago wa doko ni aru?Yota, where are the eggs?
- 陽太 Yota冷蔵庫の中に卵があるよ。Reizōko no naka ni tamago ga aru yo.There are eggs inside the refrigerator.
- 陽葵 Himariありがとう。卵料理を作ろうと思う。Arigatō. Tamago ryōri o tsukurō to omou.Thanks. I think I'll make an egg dish.
- 陽太 Yotaいいね。目玉焼きにしてよ。Ii ne. Medama-yaki ni shite yo.Sounds good. Make them sunny-side up.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “egg” translations and entries 卵, 鶏卵, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 卵, 鶏卵, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
