てにす
tenisunoun, loanword
In hiragana, "tennis" is てにす (tenisu). It is a loanword, so Japanese normally writes it in katakana as テニス.
Meaning: the sport tennis (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| てにす | tenisu | noun, loanword |
| テニス | tenisu | usual spelling |
Use する (suru) to say you play: てにすをする (tenisu o suru). A tennis club at school is a テニスぶ (tenisubu).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The word is the same in formal and casual speech. Only the verb ending changes, from します (shimasu) to する (suru).
Did you know?
- School clubs, called ぶかつ (bukatsu), are a big part of student life in Japan, and tennis is one of the common choices.
Examples in context
- わたしはてにすをします。Watashi wa tenisu o shimasu.I play tennis.
- しゅうまつにてにすをしよう。Shūmatsu ni tenisu o shiyō.Let's play tennis this weekend.
- てにすぶにはいりました。Tenisubu ni hairimashita.I joined the tennis club.
Example conversation
Haru and his classmate Emi talk after school about club activities.
- Haruエミはなんのぶかつにはいっているの。Emi wa nan no bukatsu ni haitte iru no.Emi, which club are you in?
- Emiてにすぶだよ。Tenisubu da yo.The tennis club.
- Haruこんどあいてをしてよ。Kondo aite o shite yo.Play a match with me sometime.
