How do you say "jellyfish" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "jellyfish" is クラゲ (kurage). It is a noun pronounced "koo-rah-geh".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Illustration of jellyfish from Noun Town

Pronunciation

クラゲ is written in katakana. Romanised as kurage, it sounds roughly like "koo-rah-geh" to an English ear.

Example sentence

クラゲが草原を走っています。

Kurage ga sogen wo hashitte imasu.

A jellyfish is running across the field.

Usage notes

Kurage (クラゲ) is the Japanese word for jellyfish. Animal vocabulary is engaging for learners and appears frequently in games, zoos, farms, and nature programs.

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Questions about クラゲ

How do you pronounce クラゲ?

クラゲ is romanised as kurage. Say it roughly like "koo-rah-geh" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is クラゲ formal or casual?

クラゲ 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 クラゲ written in Japanese?

クラゲ is written using katakana. Katakana is typically used for words of foreign origin or to give emphasis.

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.