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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "yawn" in Japanese?
あくびをする
akubiwosuru
In Japanese, "yawn" is あくびをする (akubiwosuru).
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Pronunciation
A-ku-bi-wo-su-ru, said in one breath, the stress sits lightly on 'ku' in the middle.
Writing and usage
あくびをする is written using hiragana. It's a verb, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.
Example sentence
長い講義にあくびが出た。
nagai kougi niakubiga deta.
The long lecture made me yawn.
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How to remember あくびをする
Akubi sounds like 'ah, coup, bee' — a big lazy yawn, ah, before the bee buzzes off.
Related words
- whistle 口笛を吹く kuchibue wo fuku
- hiccup しゃっくりする shakkurisuru
- blink まばたきをする mabatakiwosuru
- stretch 伸びをする nobi wosuru
- bend 曲げる mage ru
- kneel ひざまずく hizamazuku
- squat しゃがむ shagamu
- compare 比較する hikaku suru
- contrast 対比する taihi suru
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about あくびをする
How do you pronounce あくびをする?
A-ku-bi-wo-su-ru, said in one breath, the stress sits lightly on 'ku' in the middle.
Is あくびをする formal or casual?
あくびをする 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 あくびをする written in Japanese?
あくびをする is written using hiragana. Romanised, it reads as akubiwosuru.
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.
"Yawn" 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. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.
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