ポーズ
pōzu[po̞ːzɨ]
The English word 'pose' is translated into Japanese as ポーズ (pōzu).
ポーズ can be used as a verb meaning to place in an attitude or fixed position, for the sake of effect or as a noun meaning a position, arrangement (especially of the human body).
Meaning: (transitive) To place in an attitude or fixed position, for the sake of effect. (verb)
Which one should you use?
While ポーズ is a general term, 姿勢をとる is a more formal way to express the act of assuming a posture, often used in formal contexts like photography, dance or martial arts. For casual descriptions of a pose, you might use かっこいいポーズ to mean a 'cool pose'.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
pōzu
When do people say it?
When posing for photographs, it is common to use the phrase ピースをする to refer to making the peace sign gesture.
Did you know?
- If you want to say someone is 'posing' to look cool, you might use the word キメる (kimeru), which literally means 'to decide' or 'to settle', but colloquially means to strike a perfect, decisive pose.
- Because Japanese uses different scripts, the word ポーズ (pose) and ポーズ (pause) are indistinguishable in Katakana, meaning the listener must rely entirely on the context of the conversation to know if you mean a position or a break.
- While ポーズ refers to a deliberate position, the Japanese word 姿勢 (shisei) describes both physical posture and one's mental 'attitude' or 'approach' toward a task.
Examples in context
- あいつがガッツポーズするなんて、よっぽど嬉しかったんだろうな。It must have been something really big for him to strike a triumphant pose like that.This sentence shows how to use ポーズ when describing someone striking a triumphant pose.Tatoeba #234683 by bunbuku, translation #72061 by CM
- ポーズを決めるto strike a poseThis sentence demonstrates the common colloquial expression to strike a pose using ポーズ.
- 彼女は美しい姿勢をとっています。She is posing with a beautiful posture.
- 写真を撮る前にポーズをとってください。Please pose before taking the photo.
- 友達がかっこいいポーズを決めたんだ！My friend struck a cool pose!
- 写真を撮る時はピースをして！When taking a picture, do the peace sign!
- モデルのようなポーズをとってください。Moderu no you na poozu o totte kudasai.Please strike a pose like a model.
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are taking photos together at a park.
- 蓮 Ren美咲、もっとかっこいいポーズをして！Misaki, motto kakkoii pōzu o shite!Misaki, do a cooler pose!
- 美咲 Misakiえー、恥ずかしいよ。ē, hazukashii yo.Eh, I'm embarrassed.
- 蓮 Ren大丈夫。そのままのポーズで止まって。daijōbu. sonomama no pōzu de tomatte.It's okay. Stay in that pose.
- 美咲 Misakiわかった。これでいい？wakatta. kore de ii?Got it. Is this okay?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ポーズ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ポーズ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
