蝸牛
katatsumuri[ka̠ɡʲɨː]
The English word 'snail' is 蝸牛 (katatsumuri) in Japanese. Wiktionary also lists でんでん虫 (denden-mushi).
Meaning: any animal of the class Gastropoda having a shell (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 蝸牛 | katatsumuri | [ka̠ɡʲɨː] (narrow) [ka̠ta̠t͡sɨmɯ̟ɾʲi] (narrow) |
|
| でんでん虫 | denden-mushi | [dẽ̞ndẽ̞mːɯ̟ɕi] (narrow) | regional |
The term refers to any animal of the class Gastropoda having a shell.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 蝸牛 is composed of the kanji for 'snail', though it is often read with its own specific reading.
Which one should you use?
In modern Japanese, the word for snail is very frequently written in katakana (カタツムリ) rather than kanji.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term でんでん虫 is a more colloquial or child-friendly way to refer to a snail compared to the more formal katatsumuri.
Is it said differently in some regions?
でんでん虫 is a regional form.
How do you pronounce it?
katatsumuri
Did you know?
- The kanji 蝸牛 originally comes from a Middle Chinese compound that literally translates to 'snail cow'.
- Despite being called 虫 (mushi, 'bug' or 'insect') in the word でんでん虫, snails are not actually insects.
- In Japanese culture, the snail is often associated with the concept of slow progress but is also featured in traditional poetry.
Examples in context
- 蝸牛そろそろ登れ富士の山Snail, slowly, slowly, climb Fuji mountain!This sentence shows an example of using 蝸牛.Tatoeba #1735683 by small_snow, translation #13724793 by terrywallwork
- 「でんでん虫って、なんてデカいんだ」と、てんとう虫は言いました。"A snail is fucking big", said the ladybird.This sentence shows an example of using でんでん虫.Tatoeba #10212647 by small_snow, translation #8602237 by maaster
- すみません、庭にかたつむりがいます。Excuse me, there is a snail in the garden.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yota and Misaki are looking at a creature in the park.
- 陽太 Yota見て、あそこに蝸牛がいるよ。Mite, asoko ni kabashira ga iru yo.Look, there is a snail over there.
- 美咲 Misaki本当だ。ゆっくり動いているね。Hontō da. Yukkuri ugoite iru ne.You're right. It's moving slowly.
- 陽太 Yota殻の中に隠れちゃった。Kara no naka ni kakurechatta.It hid inside its shell.
- 美咲 Misakiびっくりしたんだね。Bikkuri shita nda ne.It must have been surprised.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “snail” translations and entries 蝸牛, でんでん虫, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries でんでん虫, 蝸牛, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
