楽園
rakuen[ɾa̠kɯ̟ẽ̞ɴ]
The English phrase 'paradise' can be translated into Japanese as 楽園 (rakuen) or パラダイス.
Meaning: very pleasant place (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 楽園 | rakuen | [ɾa̠kɯ̟ẽ̞ɴ] (narrow) |
| パラダイス | paradaisu |
Both terms are used to describe a very pleasant place. However, they carry different nuances: 楽園 is used for a more literary or formal sense of paradise, while パラダイス is a loanword used in modern, casual or commercial contexts such as advertising.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 楽園 (rakuen) is composed of the characters for 'pleasure/comfort' (楽) and 'garden/park' (園).
Which one should you use?
楽園 (rakuen) is a formal or literary term. In contrast, パラダイス (paradaisu) is a loanword and is more common in casual or modern settings.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
rakuen
Did you know?
- In Buddhist contexts, a different word, 極楽 (gokuraku), is often used to describe the Western Pure Land, which functions as a spiritual paradise.
- In Japanese, the concept of a 'paradise' can also be expressed through the term 桃源郷 (tougenkyou), which refers specifically to a mythical, hidden land of bliss.
- The word 楽園 (rakuen) uses the character 楽, which is also the same character used for 'music' (ongaku).
Examples in context
- ハワイは地上の楽園です。Hawaii is an earthly paradise.This sentence is useful for describing a location as an earthly paradise using 楽園.Tatoeba #11178853 by small_snow, translation #4478377 by AlanF_US
- このビーチはサーファーにはパラダイスだ。This beach is a paradise for surfers.This sentence shows how to use the loanword パラダイス in a casual context.Tatoeba #223290 by bunbuku, translation #60622 by CK
- フィンランドを楽園と呼ぼうとまでは思わない。I would not go so far as to call Finland a paradise.This sentence demonstrates a nuanced use of 楽園 in a statement.Tatoeba #3401032 by arnab, translation #2159496 by freddy1
- 日本庭園は、まるで楽園のような美しい場所です。Japanese gardens are beautiful places that resemble paradise.
Example conversation
Hiroto and Yui are looking at a travel brochure for a tropical island.
- 大翔 Hirotoここは本当に楽園だね。Koko wa hontō ni rakuen da ne.This place is truly a paradise, isn't it?
- 結衣 Yuiええ、最高の休暇になりそう。Ee, saikō no kyūka ni narisō.Yes, it looks like it will be the best vacation.
- 大翔 Hiroto青い海と白い砂浜が最高だよ。Aoi umi to shiroi sunahama ga saikō da yo.The blue sea and white sandy beach are amazing.
- 結衣 Yui早く楽園に行きたいね！Hayaku rakuen ni ikitai ne!I want to go to paradise soon!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “paradise” translations and entries 楽園, パラダイス, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
