テディベア
tedibea
The English phrase 'teddy bear' is translated into Japanese as テディベア (tedibea). Wiktionary also lists 縫い包み (nuigurumi).
Meaning: a stuffed toy bear (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| テディベア | tedibea | |
| 縫い包み | nuigurumi | [nɯ̟iɡɯ̟ɾɯ̟mʲi] (narrow) |
This term refers specifically to a stuffed toy bear.
Which one should you use?
While 縫い包み is a valid term, ぬいぐるみ is the much more common way to say 'stuffed toy' in everyday Japanese.
How do you pronounce it?
tedibea
Did you know?
- In Japan, there is a specific custom of giving テディベア as gifts during 'White Day' in March, where men return gifts to women who gave them presents on Valentine's Day.
- While テディベア is a loanword, the general word for stuffed toy, ぬいぐるみ, comes from the verb ぬう, meaning 'to sew'.
- When discussing a teddy bear as a character, Japanese speakers often add the suffix ちゃん (chan) to make it sound more adorable.
Examples in context
- トムはテディベアを抱きしめました。Tom hugged his teddy bear.This sentence shows how to use テディベア in a sentence about hugging a toy.Tatoeba #10668626 by small_snow, translation #7071668 by Hybrid
- 新しいテディベアを買いました。Atarashii tedibea o kaimashita.I bought a new teddy bear.
- 机の上にテディベアが置いてあります。Tsukue no ue ni tedibea ga oite arimasu.There is a teddy bear on the desk.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are looking at toys in a store.
- 健太 Kenta結衣、このテディベアはどうかな？Yui, kono tedibea wa dō kana?Yui, what do you think of this teddy bear?
- 結衣 Yuiとてもかわいいと思うわ！Totemo kawaii to omou wa!I think it's very cute!
- 健太 Kentaじゃあ、これをプレゼントにしよう。Jā, kore o purezento ni shiyō.Then, let's get this as a gift.
- 結衣 Yuiいい考えね、健太。Ii kangae ne, Kenta.That's a good idea, Kenta.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “teddy bear” translations and entries 縫い包み, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
