How do you say "cucumber" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "cucumber" is キュウリ (kyūri). It is a noun pronounced "kyoo-ree".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Illustration of cucumber from Noun Town

Pronunciation

キュウリ is written in katakana. Romanised as kyūri, it sounds roughly like "kyoo-ree" to an English ear.

Example sentence

キュウリが好きです。毎日食べます。

Kyūri ga suki desu. Mainichi tabemasu.

I love cucumber. I eat it every day.

Usage notes

Kyūri (キュウリ) is the Japanese word for cucumber. 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 キュウリ

How do you pronounce キュウリ?

キュウリ is romanised as kyūri. Say it roughly like "kyoo-ree" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is キュウリ formal or casual?

キュウリ 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 キュウリ written in Japanese?

キュウリ 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.