ユーチューブ
Yūchūbu[jɯ̟ːt͡ɕɨːbɯ̟]
The English phrase 'youtube' is translated into Japanese as ユーチューブ (Yūchūbu). Wiktionary also lists ようつべ (Yōtsube).
Meaning: a video-sharing website (name)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ユーチューブ | Yūchūbu | [jɯ̟ːt͡ɕɨːbɯ̟] (narrow) | |
| ようつべ | Yōtsube | [jo̞ːt͡sɨbe̞] (narrow) | slang |
The term refers to the video-sharing website. You may also encounter the informal term Yūchūbā to refer to YouTubers.
Which one should you use?
ようつべ is a slang contraction of the standard form ユーチューブ.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
ようつべ is a slang term, and Yūchūbā is an informal way to refer to people who use the platform.
How do you pronounce it?
Yūchūbu
Did you know?
- The slang term ようつべ is essentially a 'typo' that became a real word. It occurred because a user typed the English letters 'youtube' into a Japanese keyboard and the system converted the phonetic sounds directly into hiragana without checking if they were a proper noun.
- Japanese speakers often use the term ユーチューブ as a verb by adding する, creating ユーチューブする to mean 'to watch' or 'to upload' videos.
- The term ユーチューバー is often used in Japan as a legitimate professional job title, reflecting how the platform's influence shifted from a hobby to a recognized career path in Japanese society.
Examples in context
- ユーチューブには、広告がありすぎだよ。There are too many ads on YouTube.This sentence is useful for complaining about the amount of advertisements on ユーチューブ.Tatoeba #13209508 by atitarev, translation #5197745 by tabular
- ユーチューブで音楽を聴いています。Yūchūbu de ongaku o kiite imasu.I am listening to music on YouTube.
- ユーチューブでおすすめの動画を教えます。Yūchūbu de osusume no dōga o oshiemasu.I will tell you a recommended video on YouTube.
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are talking about a new hobby.
- 蓮 Ren最近、何にハマっているの？saikin, nani ni hamatte iru no?What are you into lately?
- 陽葵 Himariユーチューブでヨガの動画を見ているよ。yūchūbu de yoga no dōga o mite iru yo.I'm watching yoga videos on YouTube.
- 蓮 Renいいアイデアだね。おすすめのチャンネルはある？ii aidea da ne. osusume no channeru wa aru?That's a great idea. Do you have any recommended channels?
- 陽葵 Himariあとでリンクを送るね。ato de rinku o okuru ne.I'll send you the link later.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “youtube” translations and entries ユーチューブ, ようつべ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ようつべ, ユーチューブ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
