革
kawa[ka̠β̞a̠]
The Japanese word for leather is 革 (kawa). Wiktionary also lists 皮革 (hikaku) and レザー (rezā).
Meaning: material produced by tanning animal skin (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 革 | kawa | [ka̠β̞a̠] (narrow) |
| 皮革 | hikaku | [çi̥ka̠kɯ̟] (narrow) |
| レザー | rezā | [ɾe̞za̠ː] (narrow) |
革 refers to the material produced by tanning animal skin.
Which one should you use?
革 (kawa) is the most common way to say leather in everyday conversation.
How do you pronounce it?
kawa
What mistakes should you avoid?
While 'kawa' can be written as 革 (leather) or 皮 (skin/peel), the context determines the meaning.
Did you know?
- The English loanword レザー (rezā) is frequently used in high-end fashion catalogs and boutiques to sound more sophisticated or international than the native 革.
- The word 革 (kawa) is a homophone for the word meaning 'river' or 'skin' depending on the kanji used, though they are pronounced identically.
- An interesting quirk of Japanese katakana transcription is that the English word 'leather' becomes レザー (rezā), which sounds very similar to the English word 'razor'.
Examples in context
- 革でできてるんだ。It's made of leather.This sentence is useful for stating what an object is made of using 革.Tatoeba #10493861 by small_snow, translation #1541492 by Spamster
- 革靴を買ったんだ。I bought a pair of leather shoes.This sentence is useful for describing a purchase of items made with 革.Tatoeba #11310772 by small_snow, translation #2541125 by CK
- よい革は何年ももつものだ。Good leather will wear for years.This sentence is useful for making a general statement about the durability of 革.Tatoeba #192888 by small_snow, translation #30053 by AlanF_US
- このバッグは素晴らしい革でできていますね。This bag is made of excellent leather, isn't it?
- はい、本当に高品質な革を使用しています。Yes, it's made with genuinely high-quality leather.
- 最近、レザージャケットが流行っているらしいよ。I heard that leather jackets are trending lately.
- そうだね！レザージャケットってカッコイイと思う。Yeah, I think leather jackets are cool.
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
陽葵 is looking at a new handbag in a shop.
- 陽太 Yotaそのバッグ、革製なの？Sono baggu, kawasei nano?Is that bag made of leather?
- 陽葵 Himariうん、本物の革だよ。Un, honmono no kawa dayo.Yes, it is real leather.
- 陽太 Yotaすごく質が良さそうだね。Sugoku shitsu ga yosasou dane.The quality looks really good.
- 陽葵 Himariそうなの。すごく気に入ったんだ。Sou nano. Sugoku kiniitta nda.It is. I really like it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “leather” translations and entries 革, 皮革, レザー, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries レザー, 革, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
