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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "freedom" in Japanese?
自由
jiyuu
In Japanese, "freedom" is 自由 (jiyuu).
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Pronunciation
Jiyuu has a long u sound held after the ji, so stretch that second half, ju-uu, rather than clipping it short.
Writing and usage
自由 is written using kanji. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.
Example sentence
誰もが自由と選択の権利を持つべきです。
daremo ga jiyuu to sentaku no kenri wo motsu bekidesu.
Everyone deserves freedom and the right to choose.
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How to remember 自由
Jiyuu holds a long stretched 'yuu' sound, as if freedom itself is something you draw out and savor slowly.
Related words
- justice 正義 seigi
- peace 平和を heiwa wo
- equality 平等 byoudou
- opportunity 機会 kikai
- responsibility 責任 sekinin
- challenge チャレンジ charenji
- tradition 伝統 dentou
- culture 文化 bunka
- custom 慣習 kanshuu
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about 自由
How do you pronounce 自由?
Jiyuu has a long u sound held after the ji, so stretch that second half, ju-uu, rather than clipping it short.
Is 自由 formal or casual?
自由 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 自由 written in Japanese?
自由 is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as jiyuu.
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.
"Freedom" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
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. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
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