How do you say "catfish" in Japanese?

ナマズ

namazu

Noun Katakana

In Japanese, "catfish" is ナマズ (namazu).

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Pronunciation

ナマズ is written using katakana. Romanised as namazu, it sounds roughly like "nah-mah-zoo" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Namazu in katakana is a fish with mythological significance in Japan - it was blamed for earthquakes in old beliefs. Modern writing favors katakana.

Example sentence

あのナマズはとても可愛いです。

Ano Namazu wa totemo kawaii desu.

That catfish is very cute.

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How to remember ナマズ

Namazu - 'nama' means soft/slimy. Catfish are slimy. In old stories they cause earthquakes with their thrashing.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more farm words.

Questions about ナマズ

How do you pronounce ナマズ?

ナマズ is romanised as namazu. Say it roughly like "nah-mah-zoo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is ナマズ formal or casual?

ナマズ 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 ナマズ written in Japanese?

ナマズ is written using katakana. Namazu in katakana is a fish with mythological significance in Japan - it was blamed for earthquakes in old beliefs.

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.

"Catfish" in other languages

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