チューリップ
chūrippu[t͡ɕɨːɾʲip̚pɯ̟]
The English word tulip is translated into Japanese as チューリップ (chūrippu). Wiktionary also lists 鬱金香 (ukonkō).
Meaning: plant (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| チューリップ | chūrippu | [t͡ɕɨːɾʲip̚pɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 鬱金香 | ukonkō | [ɯ̟kõ̞ŋko̞ː] (narrow) [ɯ̟k̚kõ̞ŋko̞ː] (narrow) |
The word refers to the tulip plant.
Which one should you use?
チューリップ is the common way to refer to the flower, whereas 鬱金香 is a formal or botanical way to write the word. While 鬱金香 can also refer to turmeric, it is rarely used in spoken Japanese.
How do you pronounce it?
chūrippu
Did you know?
- The kanji 鬱 in 鬱金香 is one of the most complex characters in common use, consisting of 29 strokes. It is often used as a challenge for students to see if they can write it correctly.
- Japanese flower language, known as 花言葉, assigns different meanings to tulips based on color. For example, a red tulip represents 'declaration of love' while a yellow one can represent 'unrequited love'.
- While the katakana チューリップ is used most often, the kanji form 鬱金香 is actually composed of characters that literally mean 'dense gold incense'.
Examples in context
- 彼は、自分の美しいチューリップを見ていた。He looked at his beautiful tulip.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use チューリップ in a sentence.Tatoeba #8218416 by Tanikaz, translation #6704014 by AlanF_US
- 庭にチューリップを植えました。Niwa ni chuurippu o uemashita.I planted tulips in the garden.
- 赤いチューリップが咲いています。Akai chuurippu ga saite imasu.Red tulips are blooming.
Example conversation
A woman and a man are looking at a flower garden.
- 陽葵 Himariこのチューリップ、とても綺麗ですね。Kono chuurippu, totemo kirei desu ne.These tulips are very beautiful, aren't they?
- 陽太 Yota陽葵、本当に綺麗な色をしているね。Himari, hontou ni kirei na iro o shite iru ne.Himari, they really have beautiful colors.
- 陽葵 Himari陽太さんも、気に入りましたか？Youta-san mo, kiniirimashita ka?Do you like them too, Youta?
- 陽太 Yotaうん、大好きだよ。Un, daisuki da yo.Yes, I love them.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tulip” translations and entries チューリップ, 鬱金香, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
