How do you say "frog" in Japanese?

カエル

kaeru

Noun Katakana

In Japanese, "frog" is カエル (kaeru).

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Pronunciation

カエル is written using katakana. Romanised as kaeru, it sounds roughly like "kah-eh-roo" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Kaeru in katakana is a native word but uses katakana in modern usage. Frogs appear frequently in Japanese art and poetry.

Example sentence

動物園でカエルを見ました。

Doubutsuen de Kaeru wo mimashita.

I saw a frog at the zoo.

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How to remember カエル

Kaeru sounds like the croak 'ka-e-ru'. Japanese haiku about frogs jumping - kaeru jumps. Say it and jump along.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more farm words.

Questions about カエル

How do you pronounce カエル?

カエル is romanised as kaeru. Say it roughly like "kah-eh-roo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is カエル formal or casual?

カエル 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 カエル written in Japanese?

カエル is written using katakana. Kaeru in katakana is a native word but uses katakana in modern usage.

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.

"Frog" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

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