竜巻
tatsumaki[ta̠t͡sɨma̠kʲi]
The English word "tornado" is translated into Japanese as 竜巻 (tatsumaki). Wiktionary also lists トルネード (torunēdo).
Meaning: violent windstorm (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 竜巻 | tatsumaki | [ta̠t͡sɨma̠kʲi] (narrow) |
| トルネード | torunēdo | [to̞ɾɯ̟ne̞ːdo̞] (narrow) |
竜巻 refers to a violent windstorm. It can also be used more broadly in a colloquial sense to describe a whirlwind or a spinning motion, even if not a literal meteorological tornado.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 竜巻 (tatsumaki) is composed of the kanji for dragon (竜) and rolling/winding (巻).
Which one should you use?
While 竜巻 is the standard Japanese word for a tornado, the katakana loanword トルネード is often used in more technical, meteorological or dramatic contexts (such as in news reports or movies).
How do you pronounce it?
tatsumaki
Did you know?
- The word 'maki' in 竜巻 can also refer to a 'roll' of food, such as sushi rolls, because they share the same root of 'rolling' or 'winding'.
- Japanese folklore describes a たつまき as a dragon that coils its body to suck up water and air, creating a vortex.
- In Japanese media, the katakana トルネード is frequently used as a name for special attacks in anime or video games rather than just in weather reports.
Examples in context
- 竜巻で村全体が破壊された。The tornado destroyed the whole village.Tatoeba #78214 by mookeee, translation #325504 by CK
- 昨日、大竜巻が町を襲いました。Yesterday, a large tornado hit the town.
- 今日はトルネードが来るかもしれないみたいだよ。It seems like a tornado might come today.
- 遠くの方で竜巻が見えます。Tooku no hou de tatsumaki ga miemasu.I can see a tornado in the distance.
- さっきの竜巻はとても怖かったです。Sakki no tatsumaki wa totemo kowakatta desu.That tornado just now was very scary.
Example conversation
Yota and Misaki are watching the news together.
- 陽太 Yotaニュースで竜巻の警告が出ているよ。Nyūsu de tatsumaki no keikoku ga dete iru yo.A tornado warning is on the news.
- 美咲 Misakiえっ、本当に危ないのかな？E, hontō ni abunai no kana?What, is it really dangerous?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、すぐに地下へ行こう。Un, sugu ni chika e ikō.Yeah, let's go underground immediately.
- 美咲 Misakiわかった。急いで行こう、陽太。Wakatta. Isoide ikō, Yōta.I understand. Let's hurry, Yota.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tornado” translations and entries 竜巻, トルネード, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
