How do you say "tv" in Japanese?

テレビ

terebi

Noun Katakana

In Japanese, "tv" is テレビ (terebi).

Listen to the pronunciation:

Free Japanese learning game. No sign-up, play in browser. See all games

Pronunciation

テレビ is written using katakana. Romanised as terebi, it sounds roughly like "teh-reh-bee" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Terebi is katakana from English television. This shortening became standard in Japanese and shows how English tech terms were absorbed into everyday speech.

Example sentence

そのテレビはとても便利です。

Sono Terebi wa totemo benri desu.

That tv is very useful.

Test your Japanese knowledge in our free browser games.

How to remember テレビ

Terebi = television shortened. The catakana for 'bi' looks like a screen rectangle to some learners.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more house words.

Questions about テレビ

How do you pronounce テレビ?

テレビ is romanised as terebi. Say it roughly like "teh-reh-bee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is テレビ formal or casual?

テレビ 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 テレビ written in Japanese?

テレビ is written using katakana. Terebi is katakana from English television.

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.

"Tv" 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.

Noun Town language-learning game on PC, Mac and VR

The full experience

Noun Town on PC, Mac & VR

These browser games are just a taste. The full Noun Town is a bigger, deeper 3D world: explore a living town, talk to its characters and learn thousands of words in immersive VR, Mixed Reality, or on your computer. It's an award-winning game with 590+ reviews on Steam and 12 languages to learn.

See the full game ▶

Spot an error? Email us at contact@noun.town