ワルキューレ
warukyūre[β̞a̠ɾɯ̟kʲɨːɾe̞]
The English phrase valkyrie is known in Japanese as ワルキューレ (warukyūre). Wiktionary also lists 戦乙女 (ikusaotome) and 戦女神 (ikusamegami).
Meaning: any of the female attendants, or handmaidens of Odin (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ワルキューレ | warukyūre | [β̞a̠ɾɯ̟kʲɨːɾe̞] (narrow) |
| 戦乙女 | ikusaotome | [ikɯ̟sa̠o̞to̞me̞] (narrow) [ba̠ɾɯ̟kʲiɾʲiː] (narrow) |
| 戦女神 | ikusamegami | |
| ヴァルキュリヤ | varukyuriya | |
| ヴァルキューレ | varukyūre | |
| ヴァルキリー | varukirī | [ba̠ɾɯ̟kʲiɾʲiː] (narrow) |
| 女武神 | on'nabushin |
Japanese uses several different ways to refer to a valkyrie, depending on whether you are using a phonetic way to write the foreign name or a native Japanese translation that describes the figure. The katakana form ワルキューレ is most commonly encountered in modern pop culture, such as in anime, video games or when discussing Wagner's operas.
What does it mean word for word?
The standard translation 戦乙女 (ikusaotome) is a literal translation composed of 戦 (war) and 乙女 (maiden/girl).
Which one should you use?
戦乙女 (ikusaotome) is the standard Japanese translation used in literature and mythology, whereas the katakana forms like ワルキューレ (warukyūre) are phonetic transliterations of the Western name.
How do you pronounce it?
warukyūre
Did you know?
- The phonetic version ワルキューレ is based on the German word 'Walküre' rather than the English word 'valkyrie'.
- The word 乙女 (otome) in 戦乙女 evokes a sense of purity and innocence, which creates a jarring linguistic contrast with the word for 'war' (戦).
- The transcription of 'valkyrie' can vary significantly in Japanese, appearing as ヴァルキリー (varukirī) or ヴァルキュリヤ (varukyuriya) depending on the source.
Examples in context
- 彼女は真の戦乙女だ。She is a true Valkyrie.
- 彼女はヴァルキリーみたいだ。She looks like a Valkyrie.
- そのゲームのキャラクターはワルキューレです。Sono gēmu no kyarakutā wa warukyūre desu.The character in that game is a valkyrie.
- ワルキューレの伝説はとても美しいです。Warukyūre no densetsu wa totemo utsukushii desu.The legend of the valkyries is very beautiful.
Example conversation
Daito and Misaki are discussing an opera they saw.
- 大翔 Hirotoあのオペラにワルキューレが出てきたね。Ano opera ni warukyūre ga detekita ne.A valkyrie appeared in that opera, didn't she?
- 美咲 Misakiうん、とても強そうでかっこよかったよ。Un, totemo tsuyosō de kakko yokatta yo.Yeah, she looked very strong and cool.
- 大翔 Hirotoワルキューレの歌声は本当に迫力があるね。Warukyūre no utagoe wa hontō ni hakuryoku ga aru ne.The valkyrie's singing voice is truly powerful.
- 美咲 Misaki大翔君は神話が好きそうだね。Daito-kun wa shinwa ga sukisō da ne.You seem to like mythology, Daito.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “valkyrie” translations and entries ワルキューレ, 戦乙女, ヴァルキリー, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ワルキューレ, 戦乙女, CC BY-SA 4.0.
