How do you say "seashell" in Japanese?

貝殻

kaigara

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "seashell" is 貝殻 (kaigara).

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Pronunciation

貝殻 is written using kanji. Romanised as kaigara, it sounds roughly like "kah-ee-gah-rah" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Kaigara combines two kanji: shell and husk. Beach collectors gather these, and they hold cultural significance.

Example sentence

貝殻を使います。

Kaigara wo tsukaimasu.

I use the seashell.

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How to remember 貝殻

Kai means shell, gara means hull or outer layer. A shell's shell is a seashell.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more beach words.

Questions about 貝殻

How do you pronounce 貝殻?

貝殻 is romanised as kaigara. Say it roughly like "kah-ee-gah-rah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 貝殻 formal or casual?

貝殻 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 貝殻 written in Japanese?

貝殻 is written using kanji. Kaigara combines two kanji: shell and husk.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Seashell" in other languages

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