How do you say "trash can" in Japanese?

ゴミ箱

gomibako

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "trash can" is ゴミ箱 (gomibako).

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Pronunciation

ゴミ箱 is written using kanji. Romanised as gomibako, it sounds roughly like "goh-mee-bah-koh" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Gomibako uses gomi, informal for garbage, plus bako (箱), the kanji for box or container. It's everyday vocabulary combining colloquial and formal elements.

Example sentence

子供たちはゴミ箱の周りで遊んでいます。

Kodomotachi wa Gomibako no mawari de asonde imasu.

The children are playing around the trash can.

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How to remember ゴミ箱

Gomi sounds like grime or garbage. Bako (箱) looks like a box with a lid. A box for trash.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese nouns.

Questions about ゴミ箱

How do you pronounce ゴミ箱?

ゴミ箱 is romanised as gomibako. Say it roughly like "goh-mee-bah-koh" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is ゴミ箱 formal or casual?

ゴミ箱 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 ゴミ箱 written in Japanese?

ゴミ箱 is written using kanji. Gomibako uses gomi, informal for garbage, plus bako (箱), the kanji for box or container.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

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"Trash can" in other languages

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