How do you say "tree" in Japanese?

木

Noun Kanji

In Japanese, "tree" is 木 (ki).

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Pronunciation

木 is written using kanji. Romanised as ki, it sounds roughly like "kee" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Ki (木) is one of the first kanji learned by children. It appears in countless compound words for types of trees and wooden objects.

Example sentence

この建物には大きな木があります。

Kono tatemono ni wa ookina Ki ga arimasu.

This building has a large tree.

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How to remember 木

The kanji 木 looks like a tree with three branches. Three trees together form mori (forest). Think of the shape as trunk and branches.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more Japanese nouns.

Questions about 木

How do you pronounce 木?

木 is romanised as ki. Say it roughly like "kee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is 木 formal or casual?

木 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 木 written in Japanese?

木 is written using kanji. Ki (木) is one of the first kanji learned by children.

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.

"Tree" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

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.

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