How do you say "dam" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "dam" is ダム (damu). It is a noun pronounced "dah-moo".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Pronunciation

ダム is written in katakana. Romanised as damu, it sounds roughly like "dah-moo" to an English ear.

Example sentence

ダムの横に立ちました。

Damu no yoko ni tachimashita.

I stood next to the dam.

Usage notes

Damu (ダム) means dam in Japanese. This noun describes a feature or object found in indoor or outdoor environments.

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Questions about ダム

How do you pronounce ダム?

ダム is romanised as damu. Say it roughly like "dah-moo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is ダム formal or casual?

ダム 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 ダム written in Japanese?

ダム 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.