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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "ant" in Japanese?
アリ
ari
In Japanese, "ant" is アリ (ari).
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Pronunciation
Say AH-ree, with a short crisp 'ah' and the 'ri' rolling lightly off the tongue like a tiny flicked r.
Writing and usage
アリ is written using katakana. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.
Example sentence
小さなアリが床にパンくずを運んでいました。
chiisa na ari ga toko ni pan kuzuwo hakon deimashita.
A tiny ant carried a crumb across the floor.
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How to remember アリ
An ant hurries along in a line, and 'ari' rhymes with 'hurry' if you squint your ears a bit.
Related words
- bee 蜂 hachi
- butterfly 蝶 chou
- spider クモ kumo
- snail カタツムリ katatsumuri
- worm ミミズ mimizu
- cockroach ゴキブリ gokiburi
- scorpion サソリ sasori
- lizard トカゲ tokage
- toad ヒキガエル hikigaeru
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about アリ
How do you pronounce アリ?
Say AH-ree, with a short crisp 'ah' and the 'ri' rolling lightly off the tongue like a tiny flicked r.
Is アリ formal or casual?
アリ is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.
How is アリ written in Japanese?
アリ is written using katakana. Romanised, it reads as ari.
Where can I practice Japanese words for free?
You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Ant" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
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