七面鳥
shichimenchō[ɕi̥t͡ɕimẽ̞ɲ̟t͡ɕo̞ː]
The English word turkey refers to the bird in the genus Meleagris, which is 七面鳥 (shichimenchō) in Japanese. Wiktionary also lists カラクン (karakun) and カラクン鳥 (karakun-chō).
Meaning: bird in the genus Meleagris (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 七面鳥 | shichimenchō | [ɕi̥t͡ɕimẽ̞ɲ̟t͡ɕo̞ː] (narrow) |
| カラクン | karakun | |
| カラクン鳥 | karakun-chō | |
| ターキー | tākī | [ta̠ːkʲiː] (narrow) |
It is important to distinguish the bird from the country, which is referred to by a different word.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 七面鳥 (shichimenchō) literally translates to 'seven-faced bird'.
Which one should you use?
七面鳥 is the standard term for the bird. In contrast, ターキー (tākī) is a loanword often used in modern culinary contexts or when specifically referring to the meat.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
shichimenchō
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use トルコ to refer to the bird. That term is reserved for the country.
Did you know?
- The name 七面鳥 refers to the way the skin on a turkey's neck changes colors when stimulated, which makes it look like the bird has multiple faces.
Examples in context
- この七面鳥おいしいね。This turkey tastes good.This sentence is useful for expressing an opinion on how the 七面鳥 tastes.Tatoeba #221492 by bunbuku, translation #58817 by CK
- 七面鳥って、食べたことある？Have you ever eaten turkey?This sentence is useful for asking someone about their experience eating 七面鳥.Tatoeba #9937951 by small_snow, translation #69241 by CK
- 例年、うちでは感謝祭の日に七面鳥を食べるんだ。Our family usually has turkey for Thanksgiving.This sentence is useful for describing a family tradition of eating 七面鳥 on Thanksgiving.Tatoeba #9679021 by small_snow, translation #8392332 by CK
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Misaki are looking at a picture book in a library.
- 健太 Kentaこの七面鳥、すごく大きいね。Kono shichimencho, sugoku ookii ne.This turkey is really big, isn't it?
- 美咲 Misaki本当だ。羽がきれいだよ。Hontou da. Hane ga kirei da yo.It really is. The feathers are beautiful.
- 健太 Kenta図鑑には七面鳥の絵がたくさんあるよ。Zukan ni wa shichimencho no e ga takusan aru yo.There are many pictures of turkeys in the encyclopedia.
- 美咲 Misakiもっと詳しく調べてみよう。Motto kuwashiku shirabete miyou.Let's look up more details about them.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “turkey” translations and entries 七面鳥, カラクン, カラクン鳥, ターキー, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries カラクン, カラクン鳥, ターキー, 七面鳥, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
