ピアス
piasu[pʲia̠sɨ̥]
The Japanese word for "pierce" (in the sense of creating a hole for jewelry) is ピアス (piasu).
In Japanese, ピアス is used to refer to the jewelry worn in a piercing. It is common to use this word when describing the presence of a piercing on someone, such as saying someone has a piercing in their body.
Meaning: create a hole for jewelry (verb)
Which one should you use?
ピアス specifically refers to the piece of jewelry that goes through a hole. To distinguish between different types of ear jewelry, note that イヤリング refers specifically to clip-on earrings that do not require a hole in the ear.
How do you pronounce it?
piasu
Did you know?
- The word ピアス is a loanword from English that was mistakenly adapted. It was derived from 'piercing' but was interpreted as the noun for the jewelry itself rather than the act of making a hole.
- While ピアス refers to the jewelry, the act of getting a piercing is often described using the verb 開ける, which literally means 'to open'.
- In Japanese schools and offices, the presence of ピアス is often treated as a violation of grooming standards, leading students to use 'fake' jewelry or skin-colored plugs to conceal them.
Examples in context
- ピアスを開けたいです。Piasu o aketai desu.I want to get my ears pierced.
- 初めてピアスを開けます。Hajimete piasu o akemasu.I am getting my ears pierced for the first time.
- どこでピアスを開けましたか？Doko de piasu o akemashita ka?Where did you get your ears pierced?
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are talking about fashion at a cafe.
- 健太 Kenta結衣さんのピアス、とても可愛いですね。Yui-san no piasu, totemo kawaii desu ne.Yui, your earrings are very cute.
- 結衣 Yuiありがとうございます。最近、ピアスを開けたんです。Arigatou gozaimasu. Saikin, piasu o aketa n desu.Thank you. I recently got my ears pierced.
- 健太 Kentaいいですね。私もピアスを開けようかな。Ii desu ne. Watashi mo piasu o akeyou kana.That's nice. I wonder if I should get my ears pierced too.
- 結衣 Yuiぜひ！とても似合うと思いますよ。Zehi! Totemo niau to omoimasu yo.Please do! I think it would suit you very well.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ピアス, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ピアス, CC BY-SA 4.0.
