How do you say "puppy" in Japanese?

子犬

koinu

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "puppy" is 子犬 (koinu).

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Pronunciation

Koh-EE-noo, three syllables, the 'ko' again marking smallness before inu, the word for dog.

Writing and usage

子犬 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

遊び好きな子犬は尻尾を追いかけていた。

asobi suki na koinu ha shippo wo oi kaketeita.

The playful puppy chased its tail.

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How to remember 子犬

Koinu breaks down as small-dog, so if you already know inu means dog, this one nearly builds itself.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about 子犬

How do you pronounce 子犬?

Koh-EE-noo, three syllables, the 'ko' again marking smallness before inu, the word for dog.

Is 子犬 formal or casual?

子犬 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 子犬 written in Japanese?

子犬 is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as koinu.

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.

"Puppy" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

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. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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