How do you say "light bulb" in Japanese?

電球

denkyū

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "light bulb" is 電球 (denkyū).

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Pronunciation

電球 is written using kanji. Romanised as denkyū, it sounds roughly like "deh-n-kyoo" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Denkyū combines 電 (electricity) with 球 (ball/sphere). An electric sphere describes the bulb's shape and function.

Example sentence

その電球はとても便利です。

Sono Denkyū wa totemo benri desu.

That light bulb is very useful.

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How to remember 電球

Electric sphere. The round shape of a bulb fits this description perfectly.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 電球

How do you pronounce 電球?

電球 is romanised as denkyū. Say it roughly like "deh-n-kyoo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 電球 formal or casual?

電球 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 電球 written in Japanese?

電球 is written using kanji. Denkyū combines 電 (electricity) with 球 (ball/sphere).

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.

"Light bulb" in other languages

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