苺
ichigo[it͡ɕiɡo̞]
The Japanese word for strawberry is 苺. If unsure, use 苺 (ichigo). Wiktionary also lists ストロベリー (sutoroberī).
Meaning: accessory fruit (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 苺 | ichigo | [it͡ɕiɡo̞] (narrow) [ɨzɨŋo̞] (narrow) |
| ストロベリー | sutoroberī | [sɨ̥to̞ɾo̞be̞ɾʲiː] (narrow) |
The primary word for the fruit is 苺. You can also use related forms to describe things like the color strawberry (苺色 or 苺色の) or strawberry flavor (苺味の). To specifically name a strawberry flavor, you can combine 苺 with 味 (aji) to form 苺味.
Which one should you use?
The Japanese term 苺 (ichigo) is the standard word for the fruit. In contrast, the katakana form ストロベリー (sutoroberī) is a loanword from English and is typically used in brand names, menu items or for specific product flavors.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
ichigo
Did you know?
- The word 苺 (ichigo) has a surprisingly dark etymology, as it may have originated from a compound meaning 'sacred blood boy' due to its connection to the Old Japanese term 'itibiko'.
- Because 'ichigo' can be written with different kanji, it is a homophone for the word meaning 'one, five, and nine' in Japanese.
- The English loanword ストロベリー (sutoroberī) is often used in Japan specifically to sound more 'sophisticated' or 'fancy' compared to the everyday 苺.
Examples in context
- 苺が食べたい。I want a strawberry.This sentence shows how to express a desire to eat 苺.Tatoeba #8646285 by newt, translation #8715999 by chanchan
- こんなでかい苺見たの初めて。This is the first time I've seen such a huge strawberry.This sentence is useful for describing the size of an 苺.Tatoeba #11924170 by small_snow, translation #9942823 by ddnktr
- トムはパンに苺ジャムを塗った。Tom spread some strawberry jam on a slice of bread.This sentence demonstrates the use of 苺 in the context of jam.Tatoeba #2909828 by tommy_san, translation #2913624 by CK
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are at a fruit stall.
- 結衣 Yuiこの苺、すごく赤くて美味しそう！Kono ichigo, sugoku akakute oishisou!These strawberries look so red and delicious!
- 健太 Kenta本当だね。一つ買ってみようか。Hontou da ne. Hitotsu katte miyou ka.You're right. Shall we try buying some?
- 結衣 Yuiうん、苺のパックをください。Un, ichigo no pakku o kudasai.Yes, I'll take a pack of strawberries, please.
- 健太 Kentaいいよ。僕が払うね。Ii yo. Boku ga harau ne.Sure. I'll pay for them.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “strawberry” translations and entries 苺, ストロベリー, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ストロベリー, 苺, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
