Japanese dictionary
How to say "ball" in Japanese
ボールぼーる · bōru
"Ball" in Japanese is ボール (bōru). In baseball words, the kanji 球 also appears, as in 野球 (yakyū, baseball).
▶ plays native audio. Audio on this site plays when you are logged in to your free japanese.ccn.jp account (the same account as Japanese Talk by CCN).
Ways to say "ball" in Japanese
| Japanese | When to use it |
|---|---|
| ボールぼーる · bōru | Ball. The everyday word. |
| 球たま · tama | Ball. Used in some sports words. |
How to use it
Many sports names end in 球 (kyū): 野球 (baseball), 卓球 (takkyū, table tennis).
To throw a ball is ボールを投げる (bōru o nageru), and to catch it is ボールを取る (bōru o toru).
Example sentences
- 公園でボールを投げて遊びました。Kōen de bōru o nagete asobimashita.We played catch in the park.
- ボールを取ってください。Bōru o totte kudasai.Please get the ball.
- 新しいサッカーボールを買いました。Atarashii sakkā bōru o kaimashita.I bought a new soccer ball.
- この公園ではボール遊びは禁止です。Kono kōen de wa bōru asobi wa kinshi desu.Ball games are not allowed in this park.
- 彼は速い球を投げます。Kare wa hayai tama o nagemasu.He throws a fast ball.
- ボールペンを貸してください。Bōrupen o kashite kudasai.Please lend me a ballpoint pen.
Questions
What does ボール遊び禁止 mean?
ボール遊び禁止 (bōru asobi kinshi) means "No ball games." You will see this sign in many small parks in Japan.
How do you say "ballpoint pen" in Japanese?
A ballpoint pen is ボールペン (bōrupen).
Using Japanese at work?
See Executive JapaneseExecutive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.