ソファー
sofā[so̞ɸa̠ː]alternative form
The Japanese word for sofa is ソファー (sofā). Wiktionary also lists ソファ (sofa) and 長椅子 (nagaisu).
Meaning: upholstered seat (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ソファー | sofā | [so̞ɸa̠ː] (narrow) | alternative form |
| ソファ | sofa | ||
| 長椅子 | nagaisu | [na̠ɡa̠isɨ] (narrow) | |
| カウチ | kauchi | [ka̠ɯ̟t͡ɕi] (narrow) |
All these terms refer to an upholstered seat.
Which one should you use?
ソファ is an alternative spelling of ソファー. While ソファー is a loanword used in daily life, 長椅子 is a more traditional or formal Japanese term that literally means 'long chair'. カウチ is a loanword specifically for 'couch', often used in more stylistic or interior design contexts compared to the general term ソファー.
How do you pronounce it?
sofā
Did you know?
- The English word 'sofa' and the Japanese loanword ソファ share a common ancestor in the Arabic word 'suffah', which originally referred to a stone bench.
- While ソファー is common now, traditional Japanese homes historically used floor-based living with 座布団 'zabuton' cushions rather than raised seating.
- The term 長椅子 can refer to a sofa, but it is also the standard word for a hard wooden bench found in parks or train stations.
Examples in context
- ソファーの上だよ。It's on the sofa.This sentence shows how to use ソファー to indicate location.Tatoeba #10659654 by small_snow, translation #43241 by CK
- ソファーに座ったよ。I sat on the sofa.This sentence shows the action of sitting on a ソファー.Tatoeba #10659673 by small_snow, translation #3815117 by Jenn
- そのソファーに座るな。Don't sit down on the sofa.This sentence shows a command regarding sitting on a ソファー.Tatoeba #212999 by small_snow, translation #50284 by CK
- このソファはとても快適ですね。This sofa is very comfortable, isn't it?
- あのカウチでくつろぎましょう。Let's relax on that couch.
- 77 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
In a living room, a couple discusses buying furniture.
- 大翔 Hiroto新しいソファー、買いたいな。Atarashii sofā, kaitai na.I want to buy a new sofa.
- 結衣 Yuiどんなソファーがいい？Donna sofā ga ii?What kind of sofa would be good?
- 大翔 Hiroto大きくて、座り心地がいいやつ。Ōkikute, suwarigokochi ga ii yatsu.A big one that is comfortable to sit on.
- 結衣 Yuiわかった、一緒に探しに行こう。Wakatta, issho ni sagashi ni ikō.Okay, let's go look for one together.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sofa” translations and entries ソファー, ソファ, 長椅子, カウチ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries カウチ, ソファ, 長椅子, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
