How do you say "take" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "take" is 撮る (toru). It is a verb pronounced "toh-roo".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Pronunciation

撮る is written in kanji and hiragana. Romanised as toru, it sounds roughly like "toh-roo" to an English ear.

Example sentence

子供たちは撮りますのが楽しそうです。

Kodomotachi wa torimasu no ga tanoshisou desu.

The children seem to enjoy take (a photo)ing.

Usage notes

撮る means to take (a photo) in Japanese. This is an everyday verb that learners encounter early. Mastering its masu form (撮ります) and te-form opens up many sentence patterns.

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Questions about 撮る

How do you pronounce 撮る?

撮る is romanised as toru. Say it roughly like "toh-roo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 撮る formal or casual?

撮る is the plain (dictionary) form, used in casual speech and in dictionaries. For polite situations, verbs take a different ending, typically -masu. In Noun Town the game always shows the dictionary form.

How is 撮る written in Japanese?

撮る is written using kanji and hiragana. Kanji characters carry the core meaning; any hiragana or katakana that follow show grammatical endings.

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.