How do you say "crab" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "crab" is カニ (kani). It is a noun pronounced "kah-nee".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Illustration of crab from Noun Town

Pronunciation

カニ is written in katakana. Romanised as kani, it sounds roughly like "kah-nee" to an English ear.

Example sentence

カニは昼間よく眠ります。

Kani wa hiruma yoku nemurimasu.

A crab often sleeps during the day.

Usage notes

Kani (カニ) is the Japanese word for crab. Animal vocabulary is engaging for learners and appears frequently in games, zoos, farms, and nature programs.

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Questions about カニ

How do you pronounce カニ?

カニ is romanised as kani. Say it roughly like "kah-nee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is カニ formal or casual?

カニ 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 カニ written in Japanese?

カニ 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.