How do you say "buoy" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "buoy" is ブイ (bui). It is a noun pronounced "boo-ee".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Pronunciation

ブイ is written in katakana. Romanised as bui, it sounds roughly like "boo-ee" to an English ear.

Example sentence

部屋にブイがあります。

Heya ni Bui ga arimasu.

There is a buoy in the room.

Usage notes

Bui (ブイ) means buoy in Japanese. This noun describes a feature or object found in indoor or outdoor environments.

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Questions about ブイ

How do you pronounce ブイ?

ブイ is romanised as bui. Say it roughly like "boo-ee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is ブイ formal or casual?

ブイ 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 ブイ written in Japanese?

ブイ 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.