How do you say "prawn" in Japanese?

エビ

ebi

Noun Katakana

In Japanese, "prawn" is エビ (ebi).

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Pronunciation

エビ is written using katakana. Romanised as ebi, it sounds roughly like "eh-bee" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Ebi appears in katakana and is a key seafood word. This short, punchy sound matches the quick, darting motion of prawns.

Example sentence

あのエビはとても可愛いです。

Ano Ebi wa totemo kawaii desu.

That prawn is very cute.

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How to remember エビ

E-B-I: Easy to remember. Ebi bounces like a shrimp in the water.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more beach words.

Questions about エビ

How do you pronounce エビ?

エビ is romanised as ebi. Say it roughly like "eh-bee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is エビ formal or casual?

エビ 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 エビ written in Japanese?

エビ is written using katakana. Ebi appears in katakana and is a key seafood word.

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.

"Prawn" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

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