たまごっち
tamagotchi
たまごっち (tamagotchi) is the Japanese phrase for Tamagotchi, a handheld digital pet game created by Bandai.
For general contexts, the word for game is ゲーム and the word for pet is ペット.
What does it mean word for word?
The word begins with たまご (tamago), which means egg.
How do you pronounce it?
tamagotchi
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, the concept of 'growing' a たまごっち reflects the broader value of ikuji, the art of nurturing and raising a child with patience and care.
- While the name refers to an 'egg', the word たまご (tamago) is also used in Japanese to describe a person who is a 'novice' or a 'newbie' in a certain field.
- The suffix -tchi in たまごっち is a common way to create 'cute' nicknames in Japanese, similar to how one might add 'y' to a name in English.
Examples in context
- たまごっちを買いました。Tamagotchi o kaimashita.I bought a Tamagotchi.
- これは昔のたまごっちです。Kore wa mukashi no Tamagotchi desu.This is an old Tamagotchi.
- たまごっちで遊んでいます。Tamagotchi de asonde imasu.I am playing with a Tamagotchi.
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at old toys in a room.
- 結衣 Yuiこれ、たまごっちじゃない？Kore, Tamagotchi janai?Isn't this a Tamagotchi?
- 蓮 Renそうだよ、懐かしいね。Sou da yo, natsukashii ne.Yeah, it brings back memories.
- 結衣 Yui蓮君も持っていたの？Ren-kun mo motte ita no?Did you have one too, Ren?
- 蓮 Renうん、毎日世話してたよ。Un, mainichi sewa shiteta yo.Yeah, I took care of it every day.
