How do you say "pen" in Japanese?

ペン

pen

Noun Katakana

In Japanese, "pen" is ペン (pen).

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Pronunciation

ペン is written using katakana. Romanised as pen, it sounds roughly like "peh-n" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Pen in katakana is nearly identical to English. A short, common loanword for everyday writing instruments.

Example sentence

机の上にペンがあります。

Tsukue no ue ni Pen ga arimasu.

There is a pen on the desk.

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How to remember ペン

Pen is pen in both languages. One of the easiest English loanwords to remember in Japanese.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about ペン

How do you pronounce ペン?

ペン is romanised as pen. Say it roughly like "peh-n" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is ペン formal or casual?

ペン 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 ペン written in Japanese?

ペン is written using katakana. Pen in katakana is nearly identical to English.

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.

"Pen" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

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