ミャンマー
Myanmā[mʲã̠mːa̠ː]
In Japanese, the phrase for the Southeast Asian country Myanmar is ミャンマー (Myanmā). Wiktionary also lists ビルマ (Biruma).
Meaning: Southeast Asian country (name)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ミャンマー | Myanmā | [mʲã̠mːa̠ː] (narrow) |
| ビルマ | Biruma | [bʲiɾɯ̟ma̠] (narrow) |
The term refers to the Southeast Asian country. While there are two ways to refer to the country, ミャンマー is the standard and modern way to name it, corresponding to the official name Myanmar.
Which one should you use?
ミャンマー is the modern and standard term. In contrast, ビルマ is the older name for the country, which corresponds to Burma and is often used in historical contexts or by older generations.
How do you pronounce it?
Myanmā
Did you know?
- The Japanese word ビルマ is a phonetic relative of the German word 'Birma', showing how Japan adopted the country's name through Western influences.
- Because ビルマ is an older name, using it in a modern political discussion in Japan might inadvertently signal a specific historical or traditionalist viewpoint. In modern news reporting, ミャンマー is strictly preferred to respect current official naming.
- Japanese speakers often use ビルマ when referring to the 'Burma' of the Second World War, as it evokes the historical period of Japanese occupation.
Examples in context
- ミャンマーは軍事独裁政権に支配されている。Myanmar is ruled by a military dictatorship.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use ミャンマー in a political context.Tatoeba #3052785 by tommy_san, translation #551384 by darinmex
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are talking about their dream travel destinations.
- 蓮 Ren休みの日、どこに行きたい？yasumi no hi, doko ni ikitai?Where do you want to go on your day off?
- 美咲 Misaki私はミャンマーに行きたいな。watashi wa myanmā ni ikitai na.I want to go to Myanmar.
- 蓮 Renいいね。何が目的なの？ii ne. nani ga mokuteki nano?That's nice. What is the purpose of the trip?
- 美咲 Misakiミャンマーの古いお寺が見たいの。myanmā no furui otera ga mitai no.I want to see the old temples in Myanmar.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “myanmar” translations and entries ミャンマー, ビルマ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ビルマ, ミャンマー, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
