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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "shellfish" in Japanese?
貝類
kairui
In Japanese, "shellfish" is 貝類 (kairui).
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Pronunciation
KAI-roo-ee, three syllables where 'kai' rhymes with 'eye' — that first syllable carries the main stress.
Writing and usage
貝類 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
このレストランは貝類で有名です。
kono resutoran ha kairui de yuumei desu.
The restaurant is famous for its shellfish.
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How to remember 貝類
Kairui starts with 'kai', which also means shell or sea in other Japanese words — think 'kai' for coastline critters.
Related words
- toast トースト toosuto
- cereal シリアル shiriaru
- pancake パンケーキ pankeeki
- omelet オムレツ omuretsu
- broth スープ suupu
- gravy グレービー gureebii
- sauce ソース soosu
- dressing ドレッシング doresshingu
- marinade マリネ液 marine eki
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about 貝類
How do you pronounce 貝類?
KAI-roo-ee, three syllables where 'kai' rhymes with 'eye' — that first syllable carries the main stress.
Is 貝類 formal or casual?
貝類 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 貝類 written in Japanese?
貝類 is written using kanji. Romanised, it reads as kairui.
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.
"Shellfish" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
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