マクドナルド
MakuDonarudo[ma̠kɯ̟do̞na̠ɾɯ̟do̞]
マクドナルド (MakuDonarudo) is the Japanese way to say McDonald's.
マクドナルド refers to the name of the global fast food restaurant chain.
Which one should you use?
マクドナルド is the official name of the chain, whereas マック is the standard way to refer to the restaurant in casual conversation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
マクドナルド is the official name, but マック is a very common colloquialism used by Japanese speakers in informal situations.
How do you pronounce it?
MakuDonarudo
Did you know?
- Japanese menus often feature seasonal items like the 月見バーガー ('Tsukimi Burger'), which celebrates the autumn moon viewing festival with an egg patty.
- In Tokyo, you will mostly hear people use the abbreviation マック ('Makku'), but if you travel to Osaka or the surrounding Kansai region, you should use マクド ('Makudo') to sound like a local.
- Some Japanese people use the term マック to refer to a 'Macintosh' computer, meaning a sentence like マックを買った ('I bought a Mac') is ambiguous without context.
Examples in context
- 日本で一番大きなマクドナルドはどこですか？Where is the biggest McDonald's in Japan?
- マックに行こう！Let's go to McDonald's!
- 昼ごはんはマクドナルドにしましょうか？Shall we have McDonald's for lunch?
- 今日はマックで済ますよ！Let's just grab McDonald's today!
- マクドナルドでハンバーガーを食べました。Makudonarudo de hanbāgā o tabemashita.I ate a hamburger at McDonald's.
- 近くにマクドナルドがありますか？Chikaku ni Makudonarudo ga arimasu ka?Is there a McDonald's nearby?
- マクドナルドのポテトは大好きです。Makudonarudo no poteto wa daisuki desu.I love McDonald's fries.
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- 結衣 Yuiお腹が空いたね。何を食べようか？Onaka ga suita ne. Nani o tabeyou ka?I'm hungry. What shall we eat?
- 健太 Kentaマクドナルドはどうかな？Makudonarudo wa dō kana?How about McDonald's?
- 結衣 Yuiいいよ、マクドナルドに行こう！Ii yo, Makudonarudo ni ikō!Okay, let's go to McDonald's!
- 健太 Kentaじゃあ、駅の近くのお店に行こう。Jā, eki no chikaku no omise ni ikō.Then, let's go to the one near the station.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry マクドナルド, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
