歌う
utau
To sing in Japanese is 歌う (utau).
The phrase means to make musical sounds with the voice. You can use the noun 歌 to refer to a song itself.
Which one should you use?
While 歌う is the standard dictionary form, you might encounter other variations. 歌唱する is a more sophisticated expression used in official or formal contexts, whereas 歌っちゃう is an informal contracted form of 歌ってしまう used to express the idea of 'ending up singing.'
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb 歌う can be conjugated into various forms: the past tense 'sang' is 歌った, the negative form 'do not sing' is 歌わない and the continuous form 'is singing' is 歌っています.
How do you pronounce it?
utau
Did you know?
- In Japan, the culture of 'hitokara' involves going to a karaoke box to 歌う alone. While singing is usually a social activity, solo karaoke is a popular way to practice or destress.
- The word 歌舞伎 (Kabuki) combines the characters for 'sing' 歌, 'dance' 舞, and 'skill' 伎. The entire art form is literally defined by the act of singing and dancing.
- While 歌う is used for music, the word 詠む (also read as 'utau') is used specifically for composing or reciting traditional poetry like 'haiku' or 'tanka'.
Examples in context
- 君が歌う番だよ。It's your turn to sing.This sentence uses 歌う to indicate someone's turn to perform.Tatoeba #8732998 by small_snow, translation #70788 by CK
- 歌うつもりですか。Are you going to sing?This sentence uses 歌う to ask about someone's intention to sing.Tatoeba #232173 by KK_kaku_, translation #69542 by CK
- 私は歌うのが好きだ。I like to sing.This sentence uses 歌う to express a personal preference for singing.Tatoeba #157997 by bunbuku, translation #256531 by CK
- カラオケで歌います。I sing at karaoke.
- 私はシャワーを浴びながら歌います。I sing while taking a shower.
- つい歌っちゃった。I ended up singing without thinking.
- 昨日、歌いました。Yesterday, I sang.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Yui are at a karaoke box.
- 蓮 Ren結衣、次は君が歌う番だよ。Yui, tsugi wa kimi ga utau ban da yo.Yui, it is your turn to sing next.
- 結衣 Yuiえっ、私が歌うの？E, watashi ga utau no?Eh, am I the one singing?
- 蓮 Renうん、一緒に歌おうよ。Un, issho ni utaou yo.Yeah, let's sing together.
- 結衣 Yuiわかった、やってみるね！Wakatta, yatte miru ne!Okay, I'll give it a try!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 歌う, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
