How do you say "chair" in Japanese?

椅子

isu

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "chair" is 椅子 (isu).

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Pronunciation

椅子 is written using kanji. Romanised as isu, it sounds roughly like "ee-soo" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Isu is two kanji 椅子 depicting a seat. Chairs appear in homes, offices, and public spaces.

Example sentence

椅子はどこにありますか？

Isu wa doko ni arimasu ka?

Where is the chair?

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How to remember 椅子

I = chair radical, su = child. A child sitting on a chair.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more cafe words.

Questions about 椅子

How do you pronounce 椅子?

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

Is 椅子 formal or casual?

椅子 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 椅子 written in Japanese?

椅子 is written using kanji. Isu is two kanji 椅子 depicting a seat.

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.

"Chair" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

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