サーフィン
sāfin[sa̠ːɸʲĩɴ]
The English word surfing is translated into Japanese as サーフィン (sāfin). Wiktionary also lists 波乗り (naminori).
Meaning: sport (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| サーフィン | sāfin | [sa̠ːɸʲĩɴ] (narrow) |
| 波乗り | naminori | [na̠mʲino̞ɾʲi] (narrow) |
The term refers to the sport of surfing. Related equipment and roles include サーフボード (surfboard), サーファー (surfer) and ウェットスーツ (wetsuit). If you are looking for a place to learn, you can use the phrase サーフスクール (surf school). To describe the action of surfing as a verb, add the verb する to the noun to get サーフィンをする (to surf). Additionally, the phrase 波に乗る means to ride a wave.
Which one should you use?
サーフィン is a loanword from English and is the most common way to refer to the modern sport of surfing. In contrast, 波乗り is a more descriptive, native Japanese term that can also refer generally to riding waves.
How do you pronounce it?
sāfin
Did you know?
- Japanese surfers often use the term パドル for paddling, but the phrase 波待ち specifically describes the act of sitting on the board and waiting for the perfect wave to arrive.
- In some contexts, the phrase 波に乗る (nami ni noru) is used metaphorically to mean 'to ride a wave of popularity' or 'to be on a roll', much like the English idiom.
- In Japanese pop culture, 波乗り is sometimes associated with a 'carefree' or 'laid-back' personality type, linking the action of riding waves to a specific lifestyle philosophy.
Examples in context
- サーフィンは好き？Do you like surfing?Tatoeba #1452357 by bunbuku, translation #953203 by CK
- サーフィンはすごく楽しい。Surfing is a lot of fun.Tatoeba #7463936 by Ninja, translation #7457017 by CK
- サーフィンは楽しかったよ。Surfing was fun.Tatoeba #10570212 by small_snow, translation #2718133 by Hybrid
- 明日、友達と一緒にサーフィンに行きます。Tomorrow, I'm going surfing with my friend.
- サーフィンが大好きです！一緒に波乗りしましょう！I love surfing! Let's go wave riding together!
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their hobbies at a cafe.
- 陽葵 Himari陽太くんの趣味は何？Hinata-kun no shumi wa nani?Hinata, what is your hobby?
- 陽太 Yotaサーフィンをしているよ。Saafin o shite iru yo.I do surfing.
- 陽葵 Himariサーフィンはかっこいい！Saafin wa kakkoii!Surfing is cool!
- 陽太 Yota今度、陽葵さんも一緒に行こう。Kondo, Himari-san mo issho ni ikou.Next time, let's go together, Himari.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “surfing” translations and entries サーフィン, 波乗り, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
