村
mura[mɯ̟ɾa̠]
The English word 'village' can be translated into Japanese as 村 (mura). Wiktionary also lists 田舎 (inaka) and 村落 (sonraku).
Meaning: a rural habitation of size between a hamlet and a town (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 村 | mura | [mɯ̟ɾa̠] (narrow) |
| 田舎 | inaka | [ina̠ka̠] (narrow) [dẽ̞ɰ̃ɕa̠] (narrow) |
| 村落 | sonraku | [sõ̞n̺ɾa̠kɯ̟] (narrow) |
A village is a rural habitation of size between a hamlet and a town. You can use the term 村長 to refer to the head or mayor of a village in a formal context.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The term 村落 is a more formal, technical or academic term used to describe a village settlement or a cluster of dwellings.
How do you pronounce it?
mura
Did you know?
- The word 村 might have roots in Old Korean, where the phonetic spelling 牟羅 (mura) appeared in place names.
- While 村 is the standard word for 'village', the term 田舎 is often used to mean 'the boonies' or 'the sticks' when describing a place as remote or underdeveloped.
- In modern Japanese, saying you are 'going back to the 田舎' can imply a return to one's ancestral family home, regardless of whether it is technically a small village.
Examples in context
- この村は何ていうの？What's the name of this village?This sentence is useful for asking the name of a village using 村.Tatoeba #11058388 by small_snow, translation #6727845 by Ricardo14
- 村で祭りがあるんだ。There's a festival in the village.This sentence is useful for mentioning a festival located in a village using 村.Tatoeba #12957085 by small_snow, translation #9264975 by Hybrid
- 彼は故郷の村に帰った。He returned to his native village.This sentence is useful for describing someone returning to their native village using 村.Tatoeba #107521 by bunbuku, translation #296165 by CK
- 日本には美しい村がたくさんあります。There are many beautiful villages in Japan.
- 彼の家は山奥のむらにあります。His house is located in a village deep in the mountains.
- 私の夢は田舎に小さな家を持つことです。My dream is to own a small house in the countryside.
- 118 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are looking at a map of the countryside.
- 結衣 Yuiこの村はとても静かそうですね。Kono mura wa totemo shizukasou desu ne.This village looks very quiet, doesn't it?
- 健太 Kentaそうですね。空気がきれいそうです。Sou desu ne. Kuuki ga kireisou desu.It does. The air seems fresh.
- 結衣 Yui村に古い教会があるみたいです。Mura ni furui kyoukai ga aru mitai desu.It looks like there is an old church in the village.
- 健太 Kentaいいですね。ぜひ行ってみたいです。Ii desu ne. Zehi itte mitai desu.That's nice. I would definitely like to go there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “village” translations and entries 村, 田舎, 村落, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 村, 田舎, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
