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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "lighthouse" in Japanese?
灯台
toudai
In Japanese, "lighthouse" is 灯台 (toudai).
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Pronunciation
Toh-oo-dai, three syllables with a long held 'oo' first, then a bright 'dai' to finish, rhyming loosely with 'die'.
Writing and usage
灯台 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
灯台は船を岸まで導きました。
toudai ha fune wo kishi made michibiki mashita.
The lighthouse guided ships to shore.
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How to remember 灯台
Toudai ends in 'dai', which sounds like 'die' — a grim little reminder of the shipwrecks a lighthouse is built to prevent.
Related words
- courtyard 中庭 nakaniwa
- plaza 広場 hiroba
- square 町の広場 machi no hiroba
- monument 記念碑 kinenhi
- pier 桟橋 sanbashi
- dock ドック dokku
- marina マリーナ mariina
- suburb 郊外 kougai
- countryside 田園風景 den'enfuukei
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about 灯台
How do you pronounce 灯台?
Toh-oo-dai, three syllables with a long held 'oo' first, then a bright 'dai' to finish, rhyming loosely with 'die'.
Is 灯台 formal or casual?
灯台 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 灯台 written in Japanese?
灯台 is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as toudai.
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.
"Lighthouse" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
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