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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner

How do you say "build" in Japanese?

建設する

kensetsu suru

Verb Kanji

In Japanese, "build" is 建設する (kensetsu suru).

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Pronunciation

A borrowed-feeling compound, ken-se-tsu-su-ru, six syllables, said at a steady clip like reading a list of building permits.

Writing and usage

建設する is written using kanji. It's a verb, 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

彼らはツリーハウスを建てたいと思っています。

karera ha tsuriihausu wo tate taito omotte imasu.

They want to build a treehouse.

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How to remember 建設する

Kensetsu sounds like 'can set su(ch a) building' — construction workers can set up anything.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 建設する

How do you pronounce 建設する?

A borrowed-feeling compound, ken-se-tsu-su-ru, six syllables, said at a steady clip like reading a list of building permits.

Is 建設する formal or casual?

建設する 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 建設する written in Japanese?

建設する is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as kensetsu suru.

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.

"Build" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

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