Japanisch
/jaˈpaːnɪʃ/neuter
In German, the English phrase "japanese" is translated as Japanisch when referring to the Japanese language.
Japanisch is used to name the Japanese language. Other related terms include the adjective japanisch to describe things relating to Japan, and the nouns Japaner or Japanerin to describe people from Japan.
Meaning: Japanese language (name)
Which one should you use?
When you are referring to the language as a noun, you must capitalize the word as Japanisch. However, when using the word as an adjective, it should be lowercase as japanisch.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as a noun to refer to the language, Japanisch is a neuter noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/jaˈpaːnɪʃ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use the language name Japanisch to refer to a person. To describe a person from Japan, you must use Japaner for a male or Japanerin for a female.
Did you know?
- The adjective japanisch follows the same declension rules as any other German adjective, meaning its ending changes to japanische, japanischen or japanischem depending on the noun it modifies.
- The adjective japanisch is derived from the country name by adding the suffix '-isch', which is a common way to turn proper nouns into adjectives in German.
- The noun Japanisch is grammatically neuter, meaning you must use the article 'das' or the possessive 'mein' when referring to the language, as in 'mein Japanisch'.
Examples in context
- Ich kann gut Japanisch.I'm good at Japanese.This sentence demonstrates proficiency in the language Japanisch.Tatoeba #2133409 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #416136 by blay_paul
- Ihr seht japanisch aus.You look Japanese.This sentence uses the adjective japanisch to describe appearance.Tatoeba #4943127 by Hans_Adler, translation #954764 by CK
- Dein Japanisch ist gut.Your Japanese is good.This sentence refers to the quality of one's Japanisch.Tatoeba #6645466 by Felixjp, translation #281639 by CK
- Ich habe eine japanische Sprachschule besucht.I attended a Japanese language school.
- Wir essen japanisches Essen im Restaurant.We eat Japanese food at the restaurant.
- Der Japaner spricht fließend Deutsch.The Japanese person speaks fluent German.
- Ich habe einen japanischen Freund.I have a Japanese friend.
- Ist der Manga japanisch?Is the manga Japanese?
- Ich liebe japanische Popmusik!I love Japanese pop music!
- 697 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Julia are talking about their language classes.
- JulianLernst du gerade Japanisch?Are you learning Japanese right now?
- JuliaJa, ich finde Japanisch sehr interessant.Yes, I find Japanese very interesting.
- JulianDas ist eine schwere Sprache.That is a difficult language.
- JuliaEs ist schwer, aber es macht Spaß.It is hard, but it is fun.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “japanese” translations and entries Japanisch, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries japanisch, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
