マリオネット
marionetto[ma̠ɾʲio̞ne̞t̚to̞]
The English word "marionette" can be translated into Japanese as マリオネット (marionetto) or 糸繰り人形.
Meaning: string puppet (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| マリオネット | marionetto | [ma̠ɾʲio̞ne̞t̚to̞] (narrow) |
| 糸繰り人形 | itokuri ningyō |
A marionette refers to a string puppet. You may also encounter the term 操り人形, which translates literally to a manipulated doll or manipulated puppet. If you are referring to the person who operates the marionette, the formal term used is 人形遣い.
How do you pronounce it?
marionetto
Did you know?
- The traditional Japanese art of 文楽 involves puppets that are operated by three people simultaneously, unlike the single operator typical of a Western マリオネット.
- In Japanese, the word 糸 (ito) found in 糸繰り人形 is also used in the idiom 糸を引く (ito o hiku), which can describe something sticky or a situation where someone is subtly manipulating events behind the scenes.
- Japanese distinguishes between the foreign loanword マリオネット and the native 糸繰り人形, often using the former to evoke a European or 'classical music' aesthetic in art and literature.
Examples in context
- 棚の上に古いマリオネットがあります。Tana no ue ni furui marionetto ga arimasu.There is an old marionette on the shelf.
- 彼はマリオネットの作り方を習っています。Kare wa marionetto no tsukurikata o naratte imasu.He is learning how to make marionettes.
- そのマリオネットはとても繊細に動きます。Sono marionetto wa totemo sensai ni ugokimasu.That marionette moves very delicately.
Example conversation
Two friends are visiting a puppet museum.
- 健太 Kentaこのマリオネット、すごく可愛くない？Kono marionetto, sugoku kawaikunai?Isn't this marionette really cute?
- 美咲 Misaki本当だ！動きもすごく滑らかだよ。Honto da! Ugoki mo sugoku nameraka dayo.You're right! The movement is also very smooth.
- 健太 Kenta美咲は、マリオネットを操るのが上手そうに見えるね。Misaki wa, marionetto o ayatsuru no ga umasou ni mieru ne.Misaki, you look like you'd be good at controlling marionettes.
- 美咲 Misakiそんなことないよ、全然できないよ！Sonna koto nai yo, zenzen dekinai yo!That's not true, I can't do it at all!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “marionette” translations and entries マリオネット, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
