舌
shita[ɕi̥ta̠]
The English word 'tongue' is translated into Japanese as 舌 (shita). Wiktionary also lists べろ (bero).
Meaning: organ (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 舌 | shita | [ɕi̥ta̠] (narrow) | |
| べろ | bero | [be̞ɾo̞] (narrow) | informal |
The word refers to the anatomical organ. You may encounter the idiomatic term 毒舌 (dokuzetsu), which literally means 'poison tongue' and is used to describe someone who is sharp-tongued or speaks very harshly.
Which one should you use?
舌 is the standard term for the organ, whereas べろ is a colloquial or informal way to say tongue.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
べろ is informal.
How do you pronounce it?
shita
Did you know?
- The phrase 舌を巻く literally means 'to roll up one's tongue' but is used to express being utterly amazed or impressed by someone's skill.
- The expression 舌が回らない means 'the tongue does not rotate' and is used when someone cannot speak clearly due to nervousness, intoxication or cold.
- The term 舌戦 literally means 'tongue war' and describes a heated verbal argument or a fierce debate between two people.
Examples in context
- 彼女は毒舌家だ。She has a sharp tongue.This sentence shows how to describe someone with a sharp tongue using 舌.Tatoeba #87679 by bunbuku, translation #316029 by CK
- 痛っ！ 舌噛んだ。Ow, ow! I bit my tongue!This sentence is useful for describing the sensation of biting one's tongue using 舌.Tatoeba #3299752 by tommy_san, translation #3459915 by AlanF_US
- 舌を見せてください。Let me see your tongue.This sentence is a way to ask someone to show their tongue using 舌.Tatoeba #141924 by small_snow, translation #272646 by CK
- 医者は患者の舌をチェックしました。(Isha wa kanja no shita o chekku shimashita.)The doctor checked the patient's tongue.
- 24 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiroto and Misaki are eating something very hot.
- 大翔 Hiroto熱すぎて舌を火傷した！Atsusugite shita o yakeda!It was so hot I burnt my tongue!
- 美咲 Misaki大丈夫？ゆっくり食べてね。Daijobu? Yukkurie tabete ne.Are you okay? Please eat slowly.
- 大翔 Hiroto舌がまだヒリヒリするよ。Shita ga mada hirihiri suru yo.My tongue is still tingling.
- 美咲 Misaki冷たい水を飲んだほうがいいよ。Tsumetai mizu o nonda ho ga ii yo.You should drink some cold water.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tongue” translations and entries 舌, べろ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
