How do you say "to buy" in Japanese?

買う

kau

Verb Kanji

In Japanese, "to buy" is 買う (kau).

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Pronunciation

買う is written using kanji. Romanised as kau, it sounds roughly like "kah-oo" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Kau (買う) is written with the kanji for buy or purchase. It is one of the most fundamental verbs in consumer-focused conversations.

Example sentence

一緒に買いますか？

Issho ni kaimasu ka?

Shall we to buy together?

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How to remember 買う

Kau contains a roof-like shape and a box below, suggesting containing goods after purchasing them.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese verbs.

Questions about 買う

How do you pronounce 買う?

買う is romanised as kau. Say it roughly like "kah-oo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 買う formal or casual?

買う 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 買う written in Japanese?

買う is written using kanji. Kau (買う) is written with the kanji for buy or purchase.

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.

"To buy" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

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