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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "pupil" in Japanese?
瞳孔
doukou
In Japanese, "pupil" is 瞳孔 (doukou).
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Pronunciation
Doukou is doh-oo-koh, three syllables with a long first vowel, describing the dark centre of the eye.
Writing and usage
瞳孔 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
明るい光の下では、瞳孔は小さくなります。
akarui hikari no shita deha, doukou ha chiisaku narimasu.
In bright light, the pupil gets smaller.
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How to remember 瞳孔
Picture the pupil shrinking and growing as you say the long 'doh-oo' stretch, like it's dilating.
Related words
- iris 虹彩 kousai
- eyelid まぶた mabuta
- nostril 鼻孔 bikou
- earlobe 耳たぶ mimi tabu
- thigh 太もも futomomo
- shin すね sune
- heel かかと kakato
- toe つま先 tsuma saki
- fingertip 指先 yubisaki
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about 瞳孔
How do you pronounce 瞳孔?
Doukou is doh-oo-koh, three syllables with a long first vowel, describing the dark centre of the eye.
Is 瞳孔 formal or casual?
瞳孔 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 瞳孔 written in Japanese?
瞳孔 is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as doukou.
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.
"Pupil" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
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