How do you say "reindeer" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "reindeer" is トナカイ (tonakai). It is a noun.

Listen to the pronunciation:

Illustration of reindeer from Noun Town

Pronunciation

トナカイ is written in katakana. Romanised as tonakai, it sounds roughly like "toh-nah-kah-ee" to an English ear.

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Questions about トナカイ

How do you pronounce トナカイ?

トナカイ is romanised as tonakai. Say it roughly like "toh-nah-kah-ee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is トナカイ formal or casual?

トナカイ 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 トナカイ written in Japanese?

トナカイ is written using katakana. Katakana is typically used for words of foreign origin or to give emphasis.

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.