蚯蚓
mimizu[mʲimʲizɨ]
The English word "worm" translates to Japanese as 蚯蚓 (mimizu). Wiktionary also lists 蠕虫 (zenchū) and ワーム (wāmu).
Meaning: animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 蚯蚓 | mimizu | [mʲimʲizɨ] (narrow) [me̞me̞zɨ] (narrow) |
| 蠕虫 | zenchū | [d͡zẽ̞ɲ̟t͡ɕɨː] (narrow) |
| ワーム | wāmu | [β̞a̠ːmɯ̟] (narrow) |
In everyday conversation, specifically when referring to the actual animals found in soil, use 蚯蚓. To describe them as slimy, you can use the phrase ヌルヌルした.
Which one should you use?
The term 蚯蚓 is the standard word for earthworms. In contrast, 蠕虫 is a formal, technical or scientific term used in biology to describe worms. Finally, ワーム is a katakana loanword typically used in specific contexts such as computer science (for a computer worm) or within gaming and fantasy settings.
How does it change in a sentence?
To refer to multiple worms, you can add the suffix たち to the word ミミズ, resulting in ミミズたち.
How do you pronounce it?
mimizu
Did you know?
- Certain Japanese folk beliefs associate the appearance of 蚯蚓 after rain with signs of coming weather changes.
- The kanji for 蚯蚓 are a case of 'jukujikun', meaning the characters were chosen for their meaning rather than their sounds to represent the Japanese word 'mimizu'.
Examples in context
- ミミズを見つけた！I found a worm!
- ヌルヌルしたミミズSlimy worm
- 庭に大きな蚯蚓がいました。Niwa ni ookina mimizu ga imashita.There was a large worm in the garden.
- その蚯蚓はとても細長いです。Sono mimizu wa totemo hosonagai desu.That worm is very long and thin.
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are looking at the ground in a park.
- 美咲 Misaki見て、蚯蚓が動いているよ！Mite, mimi-zu ga ugoite iru yo!Look, an earthworm is moving!
- 健太 Kentaうわあ、ちょっと気持ち悪いなあ。Uwaa, chotto kimochi warui naa.Ugh, it's a bit gross.
- 美咲 Misakiそんなことないよ。かわいいよ。Sonna koto nai yo. Kawaii yo.That's not true. It's cute.
- 健太 Kenta僕はやっぱり苦手だな。Boku wa yappari nigate da na.I'm still not a fan of them.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “worm” translations and entries 蚯蚓, 蠕虫, ワーム, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ワーム, 蚯蚓, CC BY-SA 4.0.
