How do you say "lead" in Japanese?

鉛

namari

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "lead" is 鉛 (namari).

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Pronunciation

鉛 is written using kanji. Romanised as namari, it sounds roughly like "nah-mah-ree" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Namari uses a specific kanji for the metal lead. This character is distinct from the kanji for the verb 'to lead'.

Example sentence

机の上に鉛があります。

Tsukue no ue ni Namari ga arimasu.

There is a lead on the desk.

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How to remember 鉛

The kanji 鉛 has the metal radical. Lead is heavy and gray. Pencil lead (namari) was traditionally made from this metal.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more farm words.

Questions about 鉛

How do you pronounce 鉛?

鉛 is romanised as namari. Say it roughly like "nah-mah-ree" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 鉛 formal or casual?

鉛 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 鉛 written in Japanese?

鉛 is written using kanji. Namari uses a specific kanji for the metal lead.

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.

"Lead" in other languages

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