テレビ
terebi[te̞ɾe̞bʲi]
The Japanese word for television is テレビ (terebi). Wiktionary also lists テレビセット (terebisetto) and 受像機 (juzōki).
Meaning: device for receiving television signals (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| テレビ | terebi | [te̞ɾe̞bʲi] (narrow) |
| テレビセット | terebisetto | |
| 受像機 | juzōki |
テレビ is used to refer to both the physical television device and the medium of television broadcasting itself. To express the action of watching television, you can use the phrase テレビを見る.
What does it mean word for word?
テレビ is a shortened form of the loanword 'television'.
Which one should you use?
While テレビ refers to the device generally, テレビセット specifically refers to the complete television set/unit. 受像機 is a technical term for a television receiver.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
テレビジョン is a formal term for television, and 受像機 is a formal or technical term used in academic or professional contexts.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
terebi
Did you know?
- In Japan, the word テレビ is often used in the phrase テレビ離れ to describe a social phenomenon where people, especially youth, stop watching traditional broadcasts.
- The formal term 受像機 is composed of characters that literally mean 'image receiving machine', reflecting the technical way the technology was conceptualized upon its arrival.
- Because テレビ ends in a vowel, it is frequently combined with other words to create compound nouns, such as テレビ塔 for a 'television tower', a common landmark in Japanese cities.
Examples in context
- テレビをつけて。Please turn on the television.This sentence is useful for practicing how to ask someone to turn on the テレビ.Tatoeba #201970 by small_snow, translation #38525 by CK
- テレビは見るよ。I watch television.This sentence is useful for stating that you watch テレビ.Tatoeba #9935945 by bunbuku, translation #39164 by CK
- テレビって見る？Do you watch television?This sentence is useful for asking if someone watches テレビ.Tatoeba #9979553 by bunbuku, translation #69881 by CK
- 私の家には大きなテレビがあります。There is a big television at my house.
- テレビで面白い映画を観たよ！I watched an interesting movie on TV!
- 142 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Yota are in the living room.
- 結衣 Yui新しいテレビ、買ったの？Atarashii terebi, katta no?Did you buy a new television?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、昨日届いたよ。Un, kino todokita yo.Yes, it arrived yesterday.
- 結衣 Yuiすごく大きくて綺麗だね。Sugoku ookikute kirei da ne.It's very large and beautiful.
- 陽太 Yota結衣も気に入ってくれるといいな。Yui mo kiniitte kureru to ii na.I hope you like it too, Yui.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “television” translations and entries テレビ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
