How do you say "healthy" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "healthy" is 健康な (Kenkou na). It is a adjective pronounced "keh-n-koh-oo nah".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Pronunciation

健康な is written in kanji and hiragana. Romanised as Kenkou na, it sounds roughly like "keh-n-koh-oo nah" to an English ear.

Example sentence

彼はとても健康な人です。

Kare wa totemo kenkou na hito desu.

He is a very healthy person.

Usage notes

Kenkou na (健康な) is a na-adjective meaning healthy. It describes both physical health and a healthy lifestyle. Kenkou ni ii (healthy for you) is a common phrase used when describing nutritious food.

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Questions about 健康な

How do you pronounce 健康な?

健康な is romanised as Kenkou na. Say it roughly like "keh-n-koh-oo nah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 健康な formal or casual?

健康な is a na-adjective or noun-adjective. It is neutral in register and fits naturally in both casual and polite sentences. Add na before a noun, or use desu for a polite predicate.

How is 健康な written in Japanese?

健康な is written using kanji and hiragana. Kanji characters carry the core meaning; any hiragana or katakana that follow show grammatical endings.

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.