任天堂
Nintendō[ɲ̟ĩntẽ̞ndo̞ː]
Nintendo in Japanese is expressed as 任天堂 (Nintendō). Wiktionary also lists ニンテンドー (Nintendō).
Meaning: Japanese videogame company (name)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 任天堂 | Nintendō | [ɲ̟ĩntẽ̞ndo̞ː] (narrow) |
| ニンテンドー | Nintendō |
Nintendo refers to the Japanese video game company. The name can be written using Kanji or Katakana.
Which one should you use?
The Katakana form ニンテンドー is used in most consumer-facing contexts, such as advertisements, product packaging and casual writing. The company name 'Nintendo' is officially written as 任天堂 in Japanese.
How do you pronounce it?
Nintendō
Did you know?
- One theory suggests the character 天 (ten) refers to the folklore monster 天狗 (tengu), which is associated with gambling. This would link the name to the company's origins in producing hanafuda playing cards.
- The name 任天堂 can be interpreted as 'leave luck to heaven' based on the phrase 運を天に任せる (un o ten ni makaseru).
- The company's original business was producing hanafuda, which are traditional Japanese playing cards featuring floral patterns.
Examples in context
- ニンテンドー3DS買ってきました。I bought a Nintendo 3DS.This sentence shows how to use the Katakana form ニンテンドー when mentioning a specific product.Tatoeba #1370081 by marcelostockle, translation #1370068 by Spamster
- 『メトロイドプライム3 コラプション』は、任天堂発売のWii専用ゲームソフト。"Metroid Prime 3: Corruption" is a videogame by Nintendo sold exclusively for the Wii.This sentence uses the Kanji form 任天堂 to refer to the company as the publisher of a game.Tatoeba #390649 by Scott, translation #390651 by Scott
- 任天堂はゲーム業界で有名な会社です。Nintendo is a famous company in the gaming industry.
- 任天堂株式会社のビデオゲームは楽しいですね!Nintendo's video games are enjoyable, aren't they?
- 友達と一緒にニンテンドーゲームをしましょう!Let's play Nintendo games with friends!
- 任天堂さんの新作ゲームが楽しみだね!I'm looking forward to Nintendo's new game!
- 任天堂は有名な会社です。Nintendō wa yūmei na kaisha desu.Nintendo is a famous company.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about buying a new console.
- 陽葵 Himari健太、新しいゲーム機買った？Kenta, atarashii gēmu ki katta?Kenta, did you buy a new game console?
- 健太 Kentaうん、任天堂のスイッチを買ったよ。Un, Nintendo no Switch o katta yo.Yeah, I bought a Nintendo Switch.
- 陽葵 Himariいいな！何のソフトを遊ぶの？Ii na! Nan no sofuto o asobu no?Lucky! What software are you going to play?
- 健太 Kentaまずはゼルダをやってみるよ。Mazu wa Zeruda o yatte miru yo.First, I'll try playing Zelda.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nintendo” translations and entries 任天堂, ニンテンドー, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
