How do you say "pencil" in Japanese?

鉛筆

enpitsu

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "pencil" is 鉛筆 (enpitsu).

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Pronunciation

鉛筆 is written using kanji. Romanised as enpitsu, it sounds roughly like "eh-n-pee-tsoo" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Enpitsu is katakana for English pencil, adapted to Japanese sounds. The first sound 'en' is the closest equivalent to the English 'pen' start.

Example sentence

新しい鉛筆を買いました。

Atarashii Enpitsu wo kaimashita.

I bought a new pencil.

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How to remember 鉛筆

Pen + pitch together. The 'itsu' ending makes the plural or object marker in katakana.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 鉛筆

How do you pronounce 鉛筆?

鉛筆 is romanised as enpitsu. Say it roughly like "eh-n-pee-tsoo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 鉛筆 formal or casual?

鉛筆 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 鉛筆 written in Japanese?

鉛筆 is written using kanji. Enpitsu is katakana for English pencil, adapted to Japanese sounds.

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.

"Pencil" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

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