How do you say "copper" in Japanese?

銅

dō

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "copper" is 銅 (dō).

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Pronunciation

銅 is written using kanji. Romanised as dō, it sounds roughly like "doh" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Dō is a foundational metal kanji appearing in compounds for bronze, copper items, and metalwork. It is one of the oldest element characters.

Example sentence

新しい銅を買いました。

Atarashii Dō wo kaimashita.

I bought a new copper.

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How to remember 銅

The kanji 銅 has the metal radical on left. Copper is reddish and solid. Think of old copper coins and pots.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more farm words.

Questions about 銅

How do you pronounce 銅?

銅 is romanised as dō. Say it roughly like "doh" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 銅 formal or casual?

銅 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 銅 written in Japanese?

銅 is written using kanji. Dō is a foundational metal kanji appearing in compounds for bronze, copper items, and metalwork.

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.

"Copper" in other languages

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