Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 日本 | Nihon | [ɲ̟ihõ̞ɴ] (narrow) [ɲ̟ip̚põ̞ɴ] (narrow) |
|
| 日の本 | Hinomoto | [çino̞mo̞to̞] (narrow) | |
| 倭 | Wa | [β̞a̠] (narrow) | |
| 大和 | Yamato | [ja̠ma̠to̞] (narrow) [o̞ːja̠ma̠to̞] (narrow) |
poetic |
The primary way to refer to the country in East Asia is 日本. Note that the same characters can also be used as a verb meaning to varnish something with japan.
What does it mean word for word?
The characters in 日本 literally mean 'sun origin' or 'sun's source'.
Which one should you use?
While the provided romanization is Nihon, the reading Nippon is also extremely common and often used in formal contexts or specific names.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Nippon (日本) is a formal way to say Japan. 大和 is a poetic or archaic way to refer to Japan, often used to evoke a sense of ancient tradition or national spirit. 日の本 is an archaic, literary way to say Japan, similar to 'the land of the rising sun'. 倭 is an ancient name for Japan used in historical texts, often carrying a different connotation than the modern 日本.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
Nihon
Did you know?
- The ancient character 倭 may have been chosen by the Chinese because they observed the Japanese people bowing, which they interpreted as a sign of being short.
Examples in context
- 日本は島国だ。Japan is an island country.This sentence describes Japan as an island country using 日本.Tatoeba #122413 by bunbuku, translation #281590 by CK
- 日本へようこそ。Welcome to Japan.This sentence is used to welcome someone to Japan using 日本.Tatoeba #122387 by small_snow, translation #281616 by CN
- 日本は工業国だ。Japan is an industrial nation.This sentence describes Japan as an industrial nation using 日本.Tatoeba #122473 by small_snow, translation #281530 by CK
- Tanaka-san wa Nihon no sensei desu. (田中さんは日本の先生です。)Mr./Ms. Tanaka is a teacher from Japan.
- 791 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are talking about a trip to Asia.
- 健太 Kenta日本に行きたいです。Nihon ni ikitai desu.I want to go to Japan.
- 結衣 Yuiいいですね。日本はとても綺麗ですよ。Ii desu ne. Nihon wa totemo kirei desu yo.That sounds nice. Japan is very beautiful.
- 健太 Kenta結衣さんは日本に行ったことがありますか？Yui-san wa Nihon ni itta koto ga arimasu ka?Have you ever been to Japan, Yui?
- 結衣 Yuiはい、一度あります。Hai, ichido arimasu.Yes, I have been once.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “japan” translations and entries 日本, 日の本, 倭, 大和, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 倭, 大和, 日の本, 日本, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
