富士山
Fuji-san[ɸɯ̟ʑisã̠ɴ]
Mount Fuji in Japanese is 富士山 (Fuji-san). Wiktionary also lists 富士 (shortening).
Meaning: the highest mountain in Japan (name)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 富士山 | Fuji-san | [ɸɯ̟ʑisã̠ɴ] (narrow) [ɸɯ̟ʑija̠ma̠] (narrow) |
| 富士 | shortening | [ɸɯ̟ʑi] (narrow) |
富士山 refers to the highest mountain in Japan. When using the name as a proper noun, the suffix -san (山) is almost always included.
Which one should you use?
富士山 is the full name, while 富士 is a shortening.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The variation 富嶽山 (ふがくさん) is occasionally used in parts of Shizuoka.
How do you pronounce it?
Fuji-san
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistake the suffix -san (山) in 富士山 for the honorific title -san (さん) used after names.
Did you know?
- The name 富士 was originally pronounced as 'Puzi' in Old Japanese. Over many centuries, the initial sound underwent a linguistic shift from 'P' to 'F' to become the modern 'Fuji'.
- The character 山 in 富士山 is a homophone for the common Japanese honorific さん used after names. Because of this, the mountain is sometimes jokingly treated as a person in puns.
- In Japanese art and poetry, the mountain is sometimes referred to as 霊峰 'Reihō', meaning 'sacred peak'. This term highlights the mountain's status as a spiritual site rather than just a geographical landmark.
Examples in context
- 富士山は美しい。Mount Fuji is beautiful.This sentence describes the beauty of 富士山.Tatoeba #8768433 by small_snow, translation #3511308 by Hybrid
- 遠くに富士山が見えた。Mount Fuji could be seen in the distance.This sentence describes seeing 富士山 from a distance.Tatoeba #188677 by small_snow, translation #12217892 by sundown
- 富士山は日本で一番有名な山です。Mount Fuji is Japan's most famous mountain.This sentence states that 富士山 is the most famous mountain in Japan.Tatoeba #3677258 by Yamamoto_Noboru, translation #3511309 by Hybrid
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at a beautiful landscape painting.
- 陽葵 Himariこの絵には富士山が描かれていますね。Kono e ni wa Fujisan ga kakarete imasu ne.Mount Fuji is depicted in this painting, isn't it?
- 蓮 Ren本当だ。とても立派な富士山ですね。Hontou da. Totemo rippa na Fujisan desu ne.You're right. It's a very magnificent Mount Fuji.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮さんは富士山に行ったことがありますか？Ren-san wa Fujisan ni itta koto ga arimasu ka?Ren, have you ever been to Mount Fuji?
- 蓮 Renいいえ、一度もありません。Iie, ichido mo arimasen.No, never.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mount fuji” translations and entries 富士山, 富士, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 富士, 富士山, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
