旅
tabi[ta̠bʲi]
The Japanese word for journey is 旅 (tabi), and 旅行 (ryokō) is the everyday word for a trip. If unsure, use 旅.
Meaning: trip, a voyage (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 旅 | tabi | [ta̠bʲi] (narrow) [ɾʲo̞] (narrow) |
| 旅行 | ryokō | [ɾʲo̞ko̞ː] (narrow) |
旅 suggests a long, wandering or meaningful journey, while 旅行 is used for planned trips such as tourism or vacations.
Which one should you use?
旅行 is the standard, practical word for travel or a trip. 旅 has a more literary or poetic feel, though it can also be used casually.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To turn 旅行 into a verb, add する (suru) to get 旅行する, to travel. In the same way, 旅する means to travel or make a journey.
How do you pronounce it?
旅 is pronounced tabi.
When do people say it?
一人旅 (hitoritabi) is a common phrase for traveling alone or a solo journey.
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the word 旅 (tabi) is a homophone for the traditional split-toe socks worn with kimonos, although they are written with different characters.
- There is a traditional Japanese concept called 旅情 (ryojō), which describes the specific, bittersweet emotion one feels while traveling.
- Historically, the character used in 旅 originally referred specifically to a military unit of 500 men.
Examples in context
- 彼はパリへ旅行した。He made a journey to Paris.This sentence uses 旅行した, the past form of to travel, for a trip to Paris.Tatoeba #111243 by bunbuku, translation #292439 by CN
- 僕は去年長い旅をした。I made a long journey last year.Here 長い旅 means a long journey.Tatoeba #81962 by bunbuku, translation #321753 by CM
- 彼は一人旅に出かけた。He set out on a lonely journey.一人旅 means traveling alone, so this describes setting out on a solo journey.Tatoeba #109955 by bunbuku, translation #293734 by CK
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are talking about their future plans.
- 美咲 Misakiいつか世界一周の旅に出たいです。Itsuka sekai isshu no tabi ni detai desu.I want to go on a trip around the world someday.
- 蓮 Renそれは素敵な旅になりますね。Sore wa sutekina tabi ni narimasu ne.That would be a wonderful journey.
- 美咲 Misaki蓮さんはどこに行きたいですか？Ren-san wa doko ni ikitai desu ka?Where do you want to go, Ren?
- 蓮 Ren僕は北欧への旅に興味があります。Boku wa hokuoo e no tabi ni kyoumi ga arimasu.I am interested in a trip to Northern Europe.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “journey” translations and entries 旅, 旅行, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 旅, 旅行, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
