エル
eru[e̞ɾɯ̟]
エル (eru) is the Japanese way to say 'elle', referring to the French fashion brand and magazine.
In Japanese, エル is used specifically to name the French fashion brand and magazine 'Elle'.
How do you pronounce it?
eru
Did you know?
- The Japanese word エル is not actually borrowed from the French word for 'she', but rather from the English name of the letter 'L'.
- The Japanese transcription エル is the same one used to represent the letter 'L' in the alphabet, meaning the brand's name is spelled exactly like a single consonant.
- Because the Japanese language does not have a distinct 'L' sound, the word エル is actually pronounced with a sound closer to a Spanish or Italian 'r'.
Examples in context
- 彼女は忙しいですか？ (Kanojo wa isogashii desu ka?)Is she busy?
- はい、彼女は仕事中です。 (Hai, kanojo wa shigotochuu desu.)Yes, she is at work.
- エル誌を読んでいます。eru-shi o yonde imasu.I am reading Elle magazine.
- エルはフランスのブランドです。eru wa furansu no burando desu.Elle is a French brand.
- エルに新しい特集があります。eru ni atarashii tokushuu ga arimasu.There is a new feature in Elle.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about fashion magazines at a cafe.
- 健太 Kenta美咲さんは、エルを読みますか？Misaki-san wa, eru o yomimasu ka?Misaki, do you read Elle?
- 美咲 Misakiはい、大好きです。Hai, daisuki desu.Yes, I love it.
- 健太 Kenta僕もエルはよく見ます。Boku mo eru wa yoku mimasu.I also look at Elle often.
- 美咲 Misakiおしゃれな雑誌ですよね。Oshare na zasshi desu yo ne.It is a stylish magazine, isn't it?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry エル, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries エル, CC BY-SA 4.0.
