玩具
omocha[o̞mo̞t͡ɕa̠]
The Japanese phrase for toy is 玩具 (omocha). If unsure, use 玩具. Wiktionary also lists 遊び道具 (asobi dōgu) and トイ (toi).
Meaning: something to play with (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 玩具 | omocha | [o̞mo̞t͡ɕa̠] (narrow) [ɡã̠ŋɡɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 遊び道具 | asobi dōgu | |
| トイ | toi |
The word describes something to play with. Metaphorically, similar to English, it can also be used to describe something that is trivial.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 遊び道具 literally means 'play tool' or 'play implement', where 遊び means 'play' and 道具 means 'tool'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The phonetic spelling おもちゃ is the most common way to say 'toy' in daily conversation, whereas the kanji 玩具 is more formal or used in written contexts like catalogs.
How do you pronounce it?
omocha
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, certain traditional toys like kokeshi dolls are considered both おもちゃ and artistic folk crafts, blurring the line between a child's plaything and a collector's item.
- The honorific prefix お in some variations of the word suggests a level of politeness or affection toward the object being used.
- The word トイ is a direct loanword from English, used primarily in marketing or for modern, Western-style toys.
Examples in context
- その玩具は木でできてるんだ。That toy is made of wood.Tatoeba #10635053 by small_snow, translation #68727 by Zifre
- その玩具は木製だ。That toy is made out of wood.Tatoeba #1038415 by thyc244, translation #1037067 by GPHemsley
- Watashi wa omocha ga suki desu. (私はおもちゃが好きです)I like toys.
- Anata wa omocha o sagashiteimasu ka? (あなたはおもちゃを探していますか?)Are you looking for a toy?
- Kodomo no hi ni, watashi wa kodomo-tachi ni omocha o agemasu. (子供の日に、私は子供達におもちゃをあげます)On Children's Day, I give toys to children.
- Ano omocha daisuki! (あのおもちゃ大好き!)I love that toy!
- 新しい玩具が届いた。Atarashii omocha ga todoita.A new toy has arrived.
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are cleaning up the living room.
- 蓮 Ren陽葵、ここに玩具がたくさんあるよ。Himari, koko ni omocha ga takusan aru yo.Himari, there are lots of toys here.
- 陽葵 Himari本当だね。全部片付けよう。Hontou da ne. Zenbu katazukeyou.You're right. Let's clean them all up.
- 蓮 Renこの玩具はどこにしまえばいい？Kono omocha wa doko ni shimaeba ii?Where should I put this toy?
- 陽葵 Himariあの箱に入れてね、蓮。Ano hako ni irete ne, Ren.Put it in that box, Ren.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “toy” translations and entries 玩具, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
