インド
Indo[ĩndo̞]
In Japanese, the country name India is said as インド (Indo). If unsure, use インド. Wiktionary also lists 印度 (Indo) and インディア.
Meaning: the country (name)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| インド | Indo | [ĩndo̞] (narrow) | |
| 印度 | Indo | dated | |
| インディア | India |
The term is used to refer to the country of India.
Which one should you use?
インド (Indo) is the standard and most common way to refer to the country. In contrast, インディア (India) is a phonetic transcription of the English word.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The form 印度 is a dated version that is rarely used in modern daily Japanese and appears mostly in historical contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
To indicate possession or origin, add the particle の after インド (forming インドの). To indicate direction or movement toward India, use the particle へ or に after インド (forming インドへ or インドに).
How do you pronounce it?
Indo
Did you know?
- Historically, the concept of インド was introduced to Japan through Buddhist texts, meaning the earliest Japanese 'idea' of India was a spiritual land rather than a political one.
- The Japanese word インド was not borrowed directly from English, but arrived via Chinese characters from the Middle Chinese words 印度.
- While インド refers to the country, the term インド料理 refers specifically to 'Indian cuisine', which is incredibly popular in Japan and often distinct from the food found in India.
Examples in context
- 仏教はインドで始まった。Buddhism originated in India.This sentence shows the use of インド to indicate a place of origin.Tatoeba #8910153 by bunbuku, translation #4875904 by AlanF_US
- カレーはインドの食べ物です。Curry is a food from India.This sentence shows how to use インドの to indicate origin or possession.Tatoeba #10901884 by small_snow, translation #13237079 by Lumi
- 私はインドに行ったことがある。I have been to India.This sentence shows the use of インド to indicate a destination of travel.Tatoeba #191869 by KK_kaku_, translation #517419 by CN
- インドは、世界で2番目に人口の多い国です。India is the second most populous country in the world.
- 今度休暇をとったら、印度に旅行したいです。When I take my next vacation, I want to travel to India.
- 29 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Ren are talking about their dream travel destinations.
- 結衣 Yuiいつかインドに行きたいです。Itsuka Indo ni ikitai desu.I want to go to India someday.
- 蓮 Renいいですね。何が見たいですか？Ii desu ne. Nani ga mitai desu ka?That sounds great. What do you want to see?
- 結衣 Yuiインドの古い建物を見てみたいです。Indo no furui tatemono o mite mitai desu.I want to try seeing the old buildings in India.
- 蓮 Renそれはとても楽しそうですね。Sore wa totemo tanoshisou desu ne.That sounds like a lot of fun.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “india” translations and entries インド, 印度, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries インド, 印度, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
