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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "volunteer" in Japanese?
ボランティア
borantia
In Japanese, "volunteer" is ボランティア (borantia).
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Pronunciation
ボランティア is written using katakana. Romanised as borantia, it sounds roughly like "boh-rah-n-t-ee-ah" to an English ear.
Writing and usage
Borantia is katakana for volunteer, borrowed from English. Its use signals a modern, international concept not rooted in traditional Japanese society.
Example sentence
あのボランティアはとても親切です。
Ano borantia wa totemo shinsetsu desu.
That volunteer is very kind.
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How to remember ボランティア
Bo-ran-tia. The English volunteer is clearly audible if you sound it out syllable by syllable.
Related words
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about ボランティア
How do you pronounce ボランティア?
ボランティア is romanised as borantia. Say it roughly like "boh-rah-n-t-ee-ah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.
Is ボランティア formal or casual?
ボランティア 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 ボランティア written in Japanese?
ボランティア is written using katakana. Borantia is katakana for volunteer, borrowed from English.
Where can I practice Japanese words for free?
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"Volunteer" in other languages
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