広島
Hiroshima
To say Hiroshima in Japanese, write 広島, which is read Hiroshima.
広島 is the name of a city in western Japan and of the prefecture around it. The same name is used for both, so context tells you which one is meant.
What does it mean word for word?
広島 is written with two characters. 広 means wide and 島 means island, so the name can be read as wide island.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanized reading is Hiroshima. Give each syllable roughly the same weight instead of stressing one strongly as English speakers often do.
When do people say it?
The city is known around the world as the first city hit by an atomic bomb, in August 1945. Today it is home to the Peace Memorial Park, which many visitors to Japan include in their trip.
Did you know?
- The dialect of the city, called 広島弁, is often stereotyped in Japanese media as the way 'yakuza' or tough characters speak because it sounds more assertive than the Tokyo standard.
- The character 島 for 'island' is used in the names of many Japanese cities that are not actually islands, including 広島. In these cases, it often refers to a piece of land surrounded by rivers or a delta.
- The character 広 found in 広島 is also used in the word for 'advertisement', which is 広告. Although they share a character, they are pronounced differently in these contexts.
Examples in context
- 広島に行きたいです。Hiroshima ni ikitai desu.I want to go to Hiroshima.
- 広島はとても広い街です。Hiroshima wa totemo hiroi machi desu.Hiroshima is a very large city.
- 来月、広島へ旅行します。Raigetsu, Hiroshima e ryoko shimasu.I am traveling to Hiroshima next month.
Example conversation
Yui and Ren are talking about their future travel plans.
- 結衣 Yui次の休みはどこに行きますか？Tsugi no yasumi wa doko ni ikimasu ka?Where will you go on your next break?
- 蓮 Ren広島に行こうと思っています。Hiroshima ni ikou to omotte imasu.I'm thinking of going to Hiroshima.
- 結衣 Yuiいいですね！何を食べたいですか？Ii desu ne! Nani o tabetai desu ka?That sounds great! What do you want to eat?
- 蓮 Ren広島のオコノミヤキが楽しみです。Hiroshima no okonomiyaki ga tanoshimi desu.I'm looking forward to Hiroshima's okonomiyaki.
