マット
matto[ma̠t̚to̞]
The Japanese word for "mat" is マット (matto).
マット refers to a foot wiping device or a floor covering.
Meaning: foot wiping device or floor covering (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
マット is a loanword from English, written in Katakana, the script used for foreign loanwords.
How do you pronounce it?
matto
Did you know?
- While マット is used for floor coverings, the traditional Japanese straw mat is called たたみ or 畳. These traditional mats are measured by a unique unit called a 畳, which determines the size of a room in Japanese architecture.
- While a Westerner might place a マット at their front door for convenience, in Japan, the 玄関マット at the 'genkan' serves as a crucial psychological and physical boundary. It signals the absolute end of the 'outside' world and the beginning of the sacred, clean indoor space.
- If you ask for a マット in a hardware store, you might be handed a dull-finish paint or a non-reflective surface. This happens because the English words 'mat' and 'matte' both entered the Japanese language as the single phonetic word マット.
Examples in context
- 鍵はマットの下です。The key is under the mat.This sentence shows the location of an object relative to the マット.Tatoeba #12593358 by small_snow, translation #11335873 by ddnktr
- マットで靴を拭きなさい。Wipe your shoes on the mat.This sentence provides an instruction to use the マット for cleaning shoes.Tatoeba #195344 by bunbuku, translation #32518 by CK
- その犬はマットの上で寝ていた。The dog was sleeping on the mat.This sentence describes an animal positioned on the マット.Tatoeba #210996 by bunbuku, translation #48267 by CK
- Zabuton no omote ga irozuku. (座布団の表が色づく。)The surface of the cushion changes color.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At home, Hinata and Himari are getting ready for a picnic.
- 陽太 Yotaレジャーマットは持った？Rejā matto wa motta?Did you bring the picnic mat?
- 陽葵 Himariうん、バッグに入っているよ。Un, baggu ni haitte iru yo.Yes, it's in the bag.
- 陽太 Yotaよかった。陽葵は準備万端だね。Yokatta. Himari wa junbi bantan dane.Great. You are all prepared, Himari.
- 陽葵 Himari陽太くんも、忘れ物はない？Yōta-kun mo, wasuremono wa nai?Hinata, did you forget anything?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mat” translations and entries マット, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries マット, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
