壁画
hekiga[he̞kʲiɡa̠]
The English word "mural" is translated into Japanese as 壁画 (hekiga).
壁画 is typically used when referring to historical, classical or fine art murals, such as those found in ancient ruins or temples.
Meaning: painting on wall (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
hekiga
Did you know?
- The kanji for 'painting' in 壁画 is 画, which is also the root for 漫画 (manga), literally meaning 'whimsical drawings'.
- In some historical contexts, Japanese 'wall paintings' were created on paper or silk pasted to the wall, making them removable unlike Western frescoes.
- Because 壁画 sounds quite formal, using it to describe a child's doodle on a wall might sound unintentionally dramatic or even humorous.
Examples in context
- この壁画はとても美しいです。Kono hekiga wa totemo utsukushii desu.This mural is very beautiful.
- 古い壁画が残っています。Furui hekiga ga nokotte imasu.An old mural remains.
- 美術館で壁画を見ました。Bijutsukan de hekiga o mimashita.I saw a mural at the art museum.
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are walking through an old town.
- 美咲 Misakiあそこに壁画がありますよ。Asoko ni hekiga ga arimasu yo.There is a mural over there.
- 蓮 Ren本当だ、きれいな壁画ですね。Honto da, kirei na hekiga desu ne.You're right, it's a beautiful mural.
- 美咲 Misaki蓮さんはこの壁画が好きですか？Ren-san wa kono hekiga ga suki desu ka?Ren, do you like this mural?
- 蓮 Renはい、とても感動しました。Hai, totemo kando shimashita.Yes, I was very moved.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mural” translations and entries 壁画, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
