How do you say "clownfish" in Japanese?

クマノミ

kumanomi

Noun Katakana

In Japanese, "clownfish" is クマノミ (kumanomi).

Listen to the pronunciation:

Free Japanese learning game. No sign-up, play in browser. See all games

Pronunciation

クマノミ is written using katakana. Romanised as kumanomi, it sounds roughly like "koo-mah-noh-mee" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Kumanomi literally means bear-child in hiragana-kanji, a descriptive name reflecting the fish's appearance. It's a whimsical, child-friendly term for the striped orange fish.

Example sentence

あのクマノミはとても可愛いです。

Ano Kumanomi wa totemo kawaii desu.

That clownfish is very cute.

Test your Japanese knowledge in our free browser games.

How to remember クマノミ

Kuma (熊) is bear. Nomi (ノミ) is small. A small bear-like fish with stripes and spots.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more beach words.

Questions about クマノミ

How do you pronounce クマノミ?

クマノミ is romanised as kumanomi. Say it roughly like "koo-mah-noh-mee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is クマノミ formal or casual?

クマノミ 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 クマノミ written in Japanese?

クマノミ is written using katakana. Kumanomi literally means bear-child in hiragana-kanji, a descriptive name reflecting the fish's appearance.

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.

"Clownfish" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

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.

Noun Town language-learning game on PC, Mac and VR

The full experience

Noun Town on PC, Mac & VR

These browser games are just a taste. The full Noun Town is a bigger, deeper 3D world: explore a living town, talk to its characters and learn thousands of words in immersive VR, Mixed Reality, or on your computer. It's an award-winning game with 590+ reviews on Steam and 12 languages to learn.

See the full game ▶

Spot an error? Email us at contact@noun.town