隕石
inseki[ĩɰ̃se̞kʲi]
The Japanese word for meteorite is 隕石 (inseki).
隕石 is a noun used to refer to the remains of a meteor.
Meaning: remains of a meteor (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the kanji 隕 (falling from the sky/meteor) and 石 (stone).
Which one should you use?
While 隕石 (inseki) refers to the physical rock that reaches the ground, 流星 (ryūsei) refers to the light phenomenon of a meteor in the sky.
How do you pronounce it?
inseki
Did you know?
- While 隕石 is the scientific term, in casual conversation, people might refer to a fallen star as 星の欠片 (hoshi no kakera), meaning 'fragment of a star'.
- In Japanese pop culture and anime, the word 流星 (shooting star) is often used in titles and lyrics to symbolize fleeting hopes or destiny, whereas 隕石 is reserved for scientific or destructive contexts.
- The kanji used in 隕石, specifically 隕, carries the connotation of something falling or descending from the heavens. This creates a poetic image of an object 'descending' rather than just 'falling'.
Examples in context
- 高校のときは毎日隕石落ちろって思ってた。When I was in high school, I wished every day that a meteorite would fall.Tatoeba #3098449 by tommy_san, translation #3129211 by WestofEden
- 日本の学者は、新しいメテオライトの発見についての報告をしました。Japanese scholars reported the discovery of a new meteorite.
- 昨夜、庭でながれぼしを見たんだ。すごくキレイだったよ！I saw a shooting star in my garden last night. It was so beautiful!
- この隕石はとても珍しいです。Kono inseki wa totemo mezurashii desu.This meteorite is very rare.
- 博物館に大きな隕石があります。Hakubutsukan ni ookina inseki ga arimasu.There is a large meteorite in the museum.
Example conversation
Two people are looking at an exhibit at a science museum.
- 蓮 Ren見て、美咲、あの隕石はすごく大きいね。Mite, Misaki, ano inseki wa sugoku ookii ne.Look, Misaki, that meteorite is really big.
- 美咲 Misaki本当だ、蓮。本物なのかな？Hontou da, Ren. Honmono na no kana?You're right, Ren. I wonder if it's real?
- 蓮 Ren説明には、本物の隕石だと書いてあるよ。Setsumei ni wa, honmono no inseki da to kaite aru yo.The description says it is a real meteorite.
- 美咲 Misakiすごい、迫力があるね。Sugoi, hakuryoku ga aru ne.Wow, it's quite powerful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “meteorite” translations and entries 隕石, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
