How do you say "dog" in Japanese?

犬

inu

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "dog" is 犬 (inu).

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Pronunciation

犬 is written using kanji. Romanised as inu, it sounds roughly like "ee-noo" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

犬 is one of the most basic animal kanji, simple in structure and ancient in origin. It appears in many compounds and remains central to Japanese culture.

Example sentence

子供たちは犬を見て喜んでいます。

Kodomotachi wa Inu wo mite yorokondeimasu.

The children are delighted to see the dog.

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How to remember 犬

The kanji 犬 looks like a small animal with four legs.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more farm words.

Questions about 犬

How do you pronounce 犬?

犬 is romanised as inu. Say it roughly like "ee-noo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 犬 formal or casual?

犬 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 犬 written in Japanese?

犬 is written using kanji. 犬 is one of the most basic animal kanji, simple in structure and ancient in origin.

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.

"Dog" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

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