音楽
ongaku[õ̞ŋɡa̠kɯ̟]
The English word "music" can be translated into Japanese as 音楽 (ongaku) or ミュージック (myūjikku).
Meaning: sound, organized in time in a melodious way (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 音楽 | ongaku | [õ̞ŋɡa̠kɯ̟] (narrow) |
| ミュージック | myūjikku | [mʲɨːʑik̚kɯ̟] (narrow) |
Use 音楽 when you are discussing music as a general concept, a school subject or a category of art.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 音楽 is composed of the characters 音 (sound) and 楽 (comfort, pleasure or music).
Which one should you use?
While 音楽 is the standard Japanese word for music, ミュージック is a katakana loanword that is often used in specific contexts, such as in brand names, titles or when referring to "music stores".
How do you pronounce it?
ongaku
Did you know?
- In traditional Japanese music, there is a concept called ma, which refers to the intentional silence or gaps between notes. This silence is considered as essential to the 'music' as the sound itself.
- In the context of 'background music', Japanese speakers often use the abbreviation BGM, pronounced as individual letters, rather than a Japanese word.
- The word 音楽 is derived from Middle Chinese 音樂, reflecting the deep historical influence of Chinese scholarly and musical systems on Japan.
Examples in context
- 音楽は好き？Are you fond of music?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is fond of 音楽.Tatoeba #188279 by bunbuku, translation #25421 by CK
- 音楽を聴きます。I listen to music.This sentence is useful for saying that you listen to 音楽.Tatoeba #188262 by bunbuku, translation #25404 by CK
- 音楽を聞こうよ。Let's listen to some music.This sentence is useful for suggesting that someone listen to 音楽.Tatoeba #188264 by bunbuku, translation #25405 by CK
- 271 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hana and Yota are talking about their hobbies.
- 陽葵 Himari陽太は、どんな音楽が好き？Yota wa, donna ongaku ga suki?Yota, what kind of music do you like?
- 陽太 Yota僕はジャズの音楽が好きだよ。Boku wa jazu no ongaku ga suki dayo.I like jazz music.
- 陽葵 Himariいいよね。私も音楽を勉強してるの。Ii yone. Watashi mo ongaku o benkyou shiteru no.That's nice. I am studying music too.
- 陽太 Yotaすごいね！いつか聴かせてね。Sugoi ne! Itsuka kikasete ne.That's amazing! Let me hear it sometime.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “music” translations and entries 音楽, ミュージック, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ミュージック, 音楽, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
