How do you say "banana" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "banana" is バナナ (banana). It is a noun pronounced "bah-nah-nah".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Illustration of banana from Noun Town

Pronunciation

バナナ is written in katakana. Romanised as banana, it sounds roughly like "bah-nah-nah" to an English ear.

Example sentence

朝ごはんにバナナを食べました。

Asagohan ni Banana wo tabemashita.

I had banana for breakfast.

Usage notes

Banana (バナナ) is the Japanese word for banana. Food vocabulary is among the most practical for daily life in Japan and is used constantly in markets, restaurants, and home cooking.

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Questions about バナナ

How do you pronounce バナナ?

バナナ is romanised as banana. Say it roughly like "bah-nah-nah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is バナナ formal or casual?

バナナ 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 バナナ written in Japanese?

バナナ is written using katakana. Katakana is typically used for words of foreign origin or to give emphasis.

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.