How do you say "shrimp" in Japanese?

えび

ebi

Noun Hiragana

In Japanese, "shrimp" is えび (ebi).

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Pronunciation

えび is written using hiragana. Romanised as ebi, it sounds roughly like "eh-bee" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Ebi is written in hiragana. Native Japanese names for common seafood often use hiragana over kanji in modern usage.

Example sentence

えびを一つください。

Ebi wo hitotsu kudasai.

One shrimp, please.

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How to remember えび

Ebi - curved like a shrimp's body. Shrimp curve and curl when cooked. Say the word while curving your hand like shrimp.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more supermarket words.

Questions about えび

How do you pronounce えび?

えび is romanised as ebi. Say it roughly like "eh-bee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is えび formal or casual?

えび 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 えび written in Japanese?

えび is written using hiragana. Ebi is written in hiragana.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Shrimp" in other languages

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