亜鉛
aen[a̠ẽ̞ɴ]
The English word "zinc" is translated into Japanese as 亜鉛 (aen).
亜鉛 is a noun used to refer to the chemical element zinc.
Meaning: element (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is aen.
Did you know?
- The word 亜鉛 is a clever linguistic trick where the prefix 亜 means 'sub-' or 'next to', effectively labeling zinc as 'the metal that is next to lead'.
- Zinc is essential for the Japanese diet, and discussions about 亜鉛 often appear in health contexts regarding the consumption of oysters, which are prized in Japan.
- If you see the character 鉛 alone in a Japanese context, it will almost always be read as 'namari' to mean 'lead' rather than 'en' for 'zinc'.
Examples in context
- 真鍮は銅と亜鉛の合金である。Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc.This sentence is useful for showing how to name the components of an alloy using 亜鉛.Tatoeba #145008 by small_snow, translation #269555 by orcrist
- すみません、この製品は亜鉛を含んでいますか？ (Sumimasen, kono seihin wa aen o fukundeimasu ka?)Excuse me, does this product contain zinc?
- 亜鉛は、体に大切なミネラルです。aen wa, karada ni taisetsu na mineraru desu.Zinc is an important mineral for the body.
- このサプリには亜鉛が含まれています。kono sapuri ni wa aen ga fukumarete imasu.This supplement contains zinc.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about nutrition at a cafe.
- 大翔 Hiroto最近、亜鉛を意識して摂っているんだ。Saikin, aen o ishiki shite totte iru nda.I've been consciously taking zinc lately.
- 陽葵 Himariいいですね。何か効果はありましたか？Ii desu ne. Nanika kōka wa arimashita ka?That's good. Have you noticed any effects?
- 大翔 Hirotoなんとなく、疲れにくくなった気がするよ。Nantonaku, tsukareniku natta ki ga suru yo.I feel like I don't get tired as easily.
- 陽葵 Himari私も亜鉛のサプリを試してみます。Watashi mo aen no sapuri o tameshite mimasu.I'll try a zinc supplement too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “zinc” translations and entries 亜鉛, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 亜鉛, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
