How do you say "map" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "map" is 地図 (chizu). It is a noun pronounced "chee-zoo".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Illustration of map from Noun Town

Pronunciation

地図 is written in kanji. Romanised as chizu, it sounds roughly like "chee-zoo" to an English ear.

Example sentence

新しい地図を買いました。

Atarashii Chizu wo kaimashita.

I bought a new map.

Usage notes

Chizu (地図) is the Japanese word for map. This noun appears in everyday contexts across homes, offices, schools, and public spaces.

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Questions about 地図

How do you pronounce 地図?

地図 is romanised as chizu. Say it roughly like "chee-zoo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 地図 formal or casual?

地図 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 地図 written in Japanese?

地図 is written using kanji. Kanji characters carry the core meaning; any hiragana or katakana that follow show grammatical endings.

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.