アイデア
aidea[a̠ide̞a̠]
The Japanese word for "idea" is アイデア (aidea).
The term refers to any result of mental activity, such as a thought, a notion or a way of thinking.
Meaning: any result of mental activity, a thought, a notion, a way of thinking (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
アイデア is a loanword from English, written using the Katakana script.
Which one should you use?
While アイデア is common, you may also encounter アイディア, which is a variation used in casual situations and everyday conversations. Additionally, the word 考え can be used to translate "idea," "thought," or "consideration."
How do you pronounce it?
aidea
Did you know?
- When talking about a 'bad idea' in a social context, Japanese speakers often avoid the word 'bad' and instead say the idea is 無理 which means 'impossible'.
- Japanese has a specific word ひらめき for the 'flash' of an idea, describing that sudden 'aha!' moment when a solution appears instantly.
- In business settings, you will often see the term アイデア出し which literally means 'idea putting out' and is the standard term for brainstorming.
Examples in context
- それはいいアイデアだ。That's a good idea!This sentence is useful for expressing that something is a good idea using アイデア.Tatoeba #205547 by tommy_san, translation #1568 by CK
- 彼のアイデアなんです。It was his idea.This sentence is useful for attributing an idea to someone using アイデア.Tatoeba #11883281 by small_snow, translation #2298154 by Hybrid
- これは誰のアイデアなの？Whose idea was this?This sentence is useful for asking about the ownership of an idea using アイデア.Tatoeba #12698493 by small_snow, translation #2210076 by Hybrid
- 彼女は素晴らしい 考え を持っています。She has brilliant ideas.
- 新しい 考え を提案してください。Please propose new ideas.
- 彼は面白い アイデア を持っています。He has interesting ideas.
- アイデア を提案します。I will suggest an idea.
- 面白い アイディア が浮かびました。I came up with an interesting idea.
- 新しい アイディア を考えましょう。Let's think of a new idea.
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is discussing a way to spend their weekend.
- 大翔 Hiroto何かいいアイデアはある？Nanika ii aidea wa aru?Do you have any good ideas?
- 美咲 Misaki新しいアイデアが浮かんだよ。Atarashii aidea ga ukanda yo.A new idea came to me.
- 大翔 Hirotoそれはどんなアイデア？Sore wa donna aidea?What kind of idea is it?
- 美咲 Misaki海へドライブに行くのはどう？Umi e doraibu ni iku no wa dou?How about driving to the beach?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry アイデア, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
