How do you say "heart" in Japanese?

心

kokoro

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "heart" is 心 (kokoro).

Listen to the pronunciation:

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Pronunciation

KOH-koh-roh, three syllables, note this word actually means heart in the emotional sense rather than the organ.

Writing and usage

心 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

走った後、彼女の心臓は速く鼓動した。

hashitsu ta nochi, kanojo no shinzou ha hayaku kodou shita.

Her heart beat fast after the run.

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How to remember 心

Kokoro refers to the feeling heart, not the pumping organ, so picture warmth and emotion rather than a beating muscle.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 心

How do you pronounce 心?

KOH-koh-roh, three syllables, note this word actually means heart in the emotional sense rather than the organ.

Is 心 formal or casual?

心 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 心 written in Japanese?

心 is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as kokoro.

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.

"Heart" 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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