How do you say "cheese" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "cheese" is チーズ (chīzu). It is a noun pronounced "chee-zoo".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Illustration of cheese from Noun Town

Pronunciation

チーズ is written in katakana. Romanised as chīzu, it sounds roughly like "chee-zoo" to an English ear.

Example sentence

朝ごはんにチーズを食べました。

Asagohan ni Chīzu wo tabemashita.

I had cheese for breakfast.

Usage notes

Chīzu (チーズ) is the Japanese word for cheese. Food vocabulary is among the most practical for daily life in Japan and is used constantly in markets, restaurants, and home cooking.

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Questions about チーズ

How do you pronounce チーズ?

チーズ is romanised as chīzu. Say it roughly like "chee-zoo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is チーズ formal or casual?

チーズ 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 チーズ written in Japanese?

チーズ 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.