ケンタッキー
Kentakkī[kẽ̞nta̠k̚ʲkʲiː]
KFC in Japanese is ケンタッキー (Kentakkī). Wiktionary also lists ケンタッキーフライドチキン (Kentakkī Furaido Chikin) and ケンタ (Kenta).
Meaning: KFC Corporation (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ケンタッキー | Kentakkī | [kẽ̞nta̠k̚ʲkʲiː] (narrow) |
| ケンタッキーフライドチキン | Kentakkī Furaido Chikin | |
| ケンタ | Kenta |
The phrase refers to the KFC Corporation.
Which one should you use?
The full name is ケンタッキーフライドチキン, but in daily conversation, people almost always shorten it to ケンタッキー. There is also a very casual abbreviation, ケンタ, used in specific settings.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ケンタッキーフライドチキン is the official way to say KFC in Japanese. ケンタッキー is a shorter, informal version used in everyday conversation. ケンタ is a slang abbreviation used among close friends or in very casual settings.
How do you pronounce it?
Kentakkī
When do people say it?
In Japan, KFC is a culturally significant brand that is often associated with Christmas celebrations.
Did you know?
- In Japan, the tradition of eating ケンタッキー on Christmas is not a corporate accident but a result of a massive 1974 marketing campaign called 'Christmas is KFC'.
- Japan is one of the few countries where ケンタッキー competes with a strong tradition of eating 'Christmas cake', making the meal a unique hybrid of American savory and European sweet.
- Because of the Christmas tradition, people often have to pre-order their ケンタッキー meals days in advance to avoid huge crowds.
Examples in context
- ケンタッキーを注文したいですI would like to order KFC.
- メニューを見せてくださいPlease show me the menu.
- このチキンセットくださいPlease give me this chicken set.
- これを持っていますか？Do you have this?
- ケンタッキーに行きましょう。Kentakkī ni ikimashō.Let's go to KFC.
- 今日はケンタッキーを食べたいです。Kyō wa Kentakkī o tabetai desu.I want to eat KFC today.
- ケンタッキーのチキンは美味しいですね。Kentakkī no chikin wa oishii desu ne.KFC's chicken is delicious, isn't it?
Example conversation
Misaki and Daito are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- 美咲 Misaki今日の夕飯、何がいい？Kyō no yūhan, nani ga ii?What do you want for dinner today?
- 大翔 Hirotoケンタッキーにしない？Kentaikkī ni shinai?How about KFC?
- 美咲 Misakiいい考えだね！Ii kangae da ne!That's a great idea!
- 大翔 Hirotoじゃあ、買って帰るね。Jā, katte kaeru ne.Then I'll buy some on my way home.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “kfc” translations and entries ケンタッキー, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
