How do you say "butcher" in Japanese?

肉屋

nikuya

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "butcher" is 肉屋 (nikuya).

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Pronunciation

肉屋 is written using kanji. Romanised as nikuya, it sounds roughly like "nee-koo-yah" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Nikuya (肉屋) combines niku (meat) and ya (shop). Japanese job titles use various endings like shi (士) for licensed professionals or sha (者) for workers.

Example sentence

兄は肉屋になりたいと言っています。

Ani wa nikuya ni naritai to itte imasu.

My older brother says he wants to become a butcher.

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How to remember 肉屋

Niku means meat and ya means shop. A nikuya is literally a meat shop where a butcher works.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese nouns.

Questions about 肉屋

How do you pronounce 肉屋?

肉屋 is romanised as nikuya. Say it roughly like "nee-koo-yah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 肉屋 formal or casual?

肉屋 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 肉屋 written in Japanese?

肉屋 is written using kanji. Nikuya (肉屋) combines niku (meat) and ya (shop).

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Butcher" in other languages

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