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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "squat" in Japanese?
しゃがむ
shagamu
In Japanese, "squat" is しゃがむ (shagamu).
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Pronunciation
Sha-ga-mu, three syllables, the initial 'sha' pronounced like the English 'shah', not 'shag'.
Writing and usage
しゃがむ is written using hiragana. It's a verb, 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
彼女はしゃがんで箱を拾う。
kanojo hashagande hako wo hirou.
She squats to pick up the box.
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How to remember しゃがむ
Shagamu sounds like 'shah, gum' — even a shah has to squat down to pick up dropped gum.
Related words
- whistle 口笛を吹く kuchibue wo fuku
- yawn あくびをする akubiwosuru
- hiccup しゃっくりする shakkurisuru
- blink まばたきをする mabatakiwosuru
- stretch 伸びをする nobi wosuru
- bend 曲げる mage ru
- kneel ひざまずく hizamazuku
- compare 比較する hikaku suru
- contrast 対比する taihi suru
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about しゃがむ
How do you pronounce しゃがむ?
Sha-ga-mu, three syllables, the initial 'sha' pronounced like the English 'shah', not 'shag'.
Is しゃがむ formal or casual?
しゃがむ 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 しゃがむ written in Japanese?
しゃがむ is written using hiragana. Romanised, it reads as shagamu.
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.
"Squat" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
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