ロッククライミング
rokku kuraimingu[ɾo̞k̚kɯ̟̊ kɯ̟ɾa̠imʲĩŋɡɯ̟]
Rock climbing in Japanese is ロッククライミング (rokku kuraimingu). If unsure, use ロッククライミング. Wiktionary also lists 岩登り (iwanobori).
Meaning: sport of scaling rock faces (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ロッククライミング | rokku kuraimingu | [ɾo̞k̚kɯ̟̊ kɯ̟ɾa̠imʲĩŋɡɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 岩登り | iwanobori | [iβ̞a̠no̞bo̞ɾʲi] (narrow) |
The sport of scaling rock faces can be referred to using a loanword or a more traditional Japanese term. In many contexts, Japanese speakers shorten the phrase to just クライミング when the context of rock climbing is already understood.
Which one should you use?
The katakana form ロッククライミング is a direct loanword from English and is the most common way to refer to the sport in modern Japanese. In contrast, 岩登り is a more traditional, literal Japanese term, though it is used less frequently in casual conversation than the katakana version.
How do you pronounce it?
rokku kuraimingu
Did you know?
- The term 登り in 岩登り is the same word used to describe the 'upward' direction of a street or a train line, such as an 'up-train' heading toward a city center.
- The word 岩 in 岩登り is specifically used for large boulders or cliffs, whereas small stones are called 石. This means the term literally describes climbing massive stone formations rather than just any rock.
- While ロッククライミング refers to the sport, the word 登る (noboru) can also be used in a poetic or spiritual sense to describe ascending a sacred mountain like Mount Fuji.
Examples in context
- 先週さ、トムとロッククライミングに行ったんだ。Last week, I went rock climbing with Tom.This sentence is useful for describing a past activity involving the form ロッククライミング.Tatoeba #8954133 by bunbuku, translation #12590978 by CK
- 私は岩を登っています。I am climbing the rock.
- 彼らはロッククライミングに挑戦しています。They are challenging themselves in rock climbing.
- 趣味はロッククライミングです。shumi wa rokku kuraimingu desu.My hobby is rock climbing.
- ロッククライミングに興味がありますか？rokku kuraimingu ni kyoumi ga arimasu ka?Are you interested in rock climbing?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are talking about their weekend plans at a cafe.
- 健太 Kenta今週末、ロッククライミングをしませんか？konshuumatsu, rokku kuraimingu o shimasen ka?Would you like to go rock climbing this weekend?
- 結衣 Yuiいいですね！楽しそうです。ii desu ne! tanoshisou desu.That sounds good! It looks fun.
- 健太 Kenta結衣さんは、高い所は大丈夫ですか？Yui-san wa, takai tokoro wa daijoubu desu ka?Yui, are you okay with heights?
- 結衣 Yuiはい、全然大丈夫ですよ。hai, zenzen daijoubu desu yo.Yes, I am perfectly fine with it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rock climbing” translations and entries ロッククライミング, 岩登り, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
