How do you say "to throw" in Japanese?

投げる

nageru

Verb Kanji

In Japanese, "to throw" is 投げる (nageru).

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Pronunciation

投げる is written using kanji. Romanised as nageru, it sounds roughly like "nah-geh-roo" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

The kanji 投 combines a hand radical with a phonetic element, showing the action of tossing or casting something away.

Example sentence

子供たちは投げますのが楽しそうです。

Kodomotachi wa nagemasu no ga tanoshisou desu.

The children seem to enjoy throwing.

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How to remember 投げる

A hand flinging something forward. Picture releasing an object with a flicking motion away from you.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese verbs.

Questions about 投げる

How do you pronounce 投げる?

投げる is romanised as nageru. Say it roughly like "nah-geh-roo" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 投げる formal or casual?

投げる 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 投げる written in Japanese?

投げる is written using kanji. The kanji 投 combines a hand radical with a phonetic element, showing the action of tossing or casting something away..

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 throw" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

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