How do you say "tv" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "tv" is テレビ (terebi). It is a noun pronounced "teh-reh-bee".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Illustration of tv from Noun Town

Pronunciation

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

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.

Usage notes

Terebi (テレビ) is the Japanese word for tv. This noun appears in everyday contexts across homes, offices, schools, and public spaces.

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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. Katakana is typically used for words of foreign origin or to give emphasis.

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.