How do you say "snail" in Japanese?

カタツムリ

katatsumuri

Noun Katakana

In Japanese, "snail" is カタツムリ (katatsumuri).

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Pronunciation

Break it into four unhurried beats, ka-ta-tsu-mu-ri, each one the same short length, no single syllable stressed harder than another.

Writing and usage

カタツムリ is written using katakana. 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

カタツムリは濡れた道をゆっくりと進んだ。

katatsumuri ha nure ta michi woyukkurito susun da.

The snail moved slowly across the wet path.

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How to remember カタツムリ

The word itself is long and slow to say, just like a snail is slow to move, katatsumuri crawling off your tongue.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

Questions about カタツムリ

How do you pronounce カタツムリ?

Break it into four unhurried beats, ka-ta-tsu-mu-ri, each one the same short length, no single syllable stressed harder than another.

Is カタツムリ formal or casual?

カタツムリ 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 カタツムリ written in Japanese?

カタツムリ is written using katakana. Romanised, it reads as katatsumuri.

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.

"Snail" 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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