スマートフォン
sumātofon
The English phrase "smart phone" is translated into Japanese as スマートフォン (sumātofon).
スマートフォン refers to a mobile phone that performs many of the functions of a computer.
Which one should you use?
While スマートフォン is the full, formal term, スマホ is much more frequent in spoken Japanese.
How do you pronounce it?
sumātofon
Did you know?
- In Japan, people often use the term ガラケー to refer to old-fashioned flip phones. This is a portmanteau of 'galapagos' and 'cell phone', suggesting these devices evolved in isolation from the rest of the world.
- Before the スマートフォン became dominant, Japanese mobile phones were far more advanced than Western ones, featuring mobile internet and email years before the first iPhone was released.
- The shortened form スマホ is an example of a common Japanese linguistic pattern where long foreign loanwords are clipped to four syllables or fewer to fit the natural rhythm of speech.
Examples in context
- 私の スマートフォン は最新モデルです。My smart phone is the latest model.
- 新しいスマートフォンを買いました。Atarashii sumātofon o kaimashita.I bought a new smartphone.
- スマートフォンはとても便利です。Sumātofon wa totemo benri desu.Smartphones are very convenient.
- このスマートフォンは高いですね。Kono sumātofon wa takai desu ne.This smartphone is expensive, isn't it?
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at a new gadget in a store.
- 結衣 Yui蓮、このスマートフォンはどう思う？Ren, kono sumātofon wa dō omou?Ren, what do you think of this smartphone?
- 蓮 Renデザインがすごくかっこいいよ。Dezain ga sugoku kakkoii yo.The design is really cool.
- 結衣 Yuiでも、少し高すぎる気がする。Demo, sukoshi takasugiru ki ga suru.But I feel it's a bit too expensive.
- 蓮 Ren機能が充実しているからね。Kinō ga jūjitsu shite iru kara ne.That's because it has so many great features.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry スマートフォン, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
