‘You say games in Japanese as ゲーム (gēmu), which is a direct borrowing from the English word, or 遊戯 (yūgi), which is a more traditional Japanese term.’
Ever wondered how to say games in Japanese? It’s a common question for people diving into Japanese culture or language. You might be surprised at the simplicity, yet also the nuance, within the answer.
The Japanese language often borrows English words, adapting them to their sound system. This makes learning some vocabulary quite easy. So, let’s explore the options available when discussing “games” in Japanese.
How to Say Games in Japanese: A Fun Guide
So, you’re curious about how to talk about games in Japanese? That’s fantastic! It’s a really fun topic, and there are a few cool ways to approach it. Just like in English, where we have words like “game,” “play,” and “gaming,” Japanese has its own set of words and phrases. Let’s dive in and explore all the different ways to talk about games in Japanese!
The Basics: What’s the Word for “Game”?
The most common way to say “game” in Japanese is ゲーム (pronounced “ge-mu”). Now, this might look a little funny to you, but it’s actually a borrowed word from English! It’s what we call a “katakana” word, which is a special type of Japanese writing used for foreign words. Think of it like this: just like we might use the word “karaoke,” Japanese people borrowed the word “game” and made it their own.
So, if you just want to say the simple word “game,” you can confidently use ゲーム. This works whether you’re talking about video games, board games, sports games, or even just a fun game you play with friends.
Different Types of Games: Getting Specific
While “ge-mu” is a great general term, sometimes you want to be more specific. Let’s take a look at how to describe different types of games in Japanese:
Video Games
When we talk about video games, there are two common ways to say it:
- テレビゲーム (terebi ge-mu): This literally translates to “television game,” which makes perfect sense, right? It’s a common way to refer to games played on a console or computer. Think of it as the direct equivalent of “video game.”
- ビデオゲーム (bideo ge-mu): You will sometimes hear this used as well and it is another valid way to refer to video games. This one is closer to the pronunciation of “video” in English. Both are frequently used and completely interchangeable.
Board Games
For board games, the term is a bit different:
- ボードゲーム (bo-do ge-mu): Again, this is a katakana word, taken from the English “board game”. So, if you want to talk about chess or Monopoly, this is the term you’ll use!
Card Games
When you’re dealing the cards for a round of poker, here’s what to say:
- カードゲーム (ka-do ge-mu): This, not surprisingly, comes from the English phrase “card game.” It works perfectly for anything involving a deck of cards.
Sports Games
Talking about soccer, baseball, or other athletic games? Here’s what you should know:
- スポーツゲーム (supo-tsu ge-mu): Another katakana word, this phrase translates directly from the English “sports game” and is used in the same way. This could refer to watching a football game or to playing a sports game on your video game console.
- 試合 (shiai): This is a more traditional Japanese term that generally translates to “match” or “game” in a sports context. This word will often be used to refer to sports games that are being played. For instance, “soccer shiai” (サッカー試合) would mean “soccer match”.
So, for example, “I watched a baseball game last night” would be “Kinou yakyuu no shiai o mimashita” (昨日野球の試合を見ました).
Online Games
With so many of us playing games with others online, you might be curious how to say that in Japanese too:
- オンラインゲーム (onrain ge-mu): Similar to video games, this one uses English words and is read as “online game.” This will be a key phrase to use if you like to play with your friends online!
What about “Playing Games”?
Now that we know how to say “games,” let’s talk about the verb “to play.” The most common way to say “to play” in the context of games is:
- 遊ぶ (asobu): This is the general verb for “to play”. You can use this for playing games, but also for any other time you are playing or doing something fun. For example, if you were going to the park to play in the playground, you might say, “Koen de asobu” (公園で遊ぶ).
You can put the word “game” and the verb “to play” together to say “to play games.” Here are a couple of examples:
- ゲームを遊ぶ (ge-mu o asobu): This is a straightforward way to say “to play games.” The “o” (を) is a particle that indicates the direct object of the verb, in this case games.
Let’s Talk About Gaming
Sometimes we want to talk about the whole idea of gaming, not just an individual game. Here are some words and phrases for that:
Gaming
- ゲーミング (ge-mingu): This katakana word comes from the English word “gaming.” It’s used to talk about the general hobby or activity of playing video games. This word is used when describing “gaming chairs”, or “gaming setups”, and more!
Gamer
- ゲーマー (ge-ma-): This word is taken from the English “gamer” and refers to someone who enjoys playing video games.
Putting it All Together: Example Sentences
Let’s try some example sentences to show you how these words work in action! Remember, Japanese sentences are often structured differently than English ones, but don’t worry too much about the grammar for now.
Here are a few sentences, using both the general term for games, and more specific ones as well:
-
I like video games:
私はテレビゲームが好きです。(Watashi wa terebi ge-mu ga suki desu.)
Watashi wa = I, terebi ge-mu = video game, ga suki desu = like. -
Let’s play a board game:
ボードゲームをしましょう。(Bo-do ge-mu o shimashou.)
bo-do ge-mu = board game, o shimashou = Let’s play. -
My brother is a gamer:
私の兄はゲーマーです。(Watashi no ani wa ge-ma- desu.)
watashi no ani = my older brother, ge-ma- = gamer, desu = is. -
I play online games with my friends:
友達とオンラインゲームをします。(Tomodachi to onrain ge-mu o shimasu.)
Tomodachi to = with my friends, onrain ge-mu = online games, o shimasu = play. -
We are watching the baseball game:
私たちは野球の試合を見ています。(Watashitachi wa yakyuu no shiai o miteimasu.)
watashitachi wa = we, yakyuu no shiai = baseball game, o miteimasu = are watching.
Helpful Vocabulary for Talking About Games
Here are some extra words that can help when talking about games:
Action
- アクション (akushon): This word, based on the English “action” is often used to describe a type of game.
Adventure
- アドベンチャー (adobencha-): Derived from the English word “adventure”, this word is used to describe the genre of adventure games.
RPG (Role Playing Game)
- ロールプレイングゲーム (ro-ru pureingu ge-mu): This is a Japanese way of saying Role Playing Game, often abbreviated to RPG.
Characters
- キャラクター (kyarakuta-): From the English “character,” this is used when you are speaking of characters in a game.
Level
- レベル (reberu): This is the Japanese pronunciation of “level,” which is very common in games.
Strategy
- 戦略 (senryaku): This is a native Japanese word meaning “strategy”.
Winning
- 勝つ (katsu): This verb means “to win”.
- 勝利 (shouri): This noun means “victory”.
Losing
- 負ける (makeru): This verb means “to lose”.
- 敗北 (haiboku): This noun means “defeat”.
Fun
- 楽しい (tanoshii): This is the word for “fun” or “enjoyable,” which is essential when talking about games!
With these vocabulary words you can better expand on your discussions of games!
Learning how to talk about games in Japanese can be a lot of fun! Don’t worry if it seems like a lot at first. The more you practice, the easier it will become! And remember, it’s okay to make mistakes – that’s how we all learn! Just keep playing and having fun!
How To Say "ONE" In JAPANESE 😂🇯🇵
Final Thoughts
To summarize, you can say “gēmu” (ゲーム) for games, directly derived from English. This is a common way to refer to video games. You might also hear “asobi” (遊び), which means play or fun, and sometimes applies to different types of games.
Remember “gēmu” (ゲーム) is your must-know term for the question of how to say games in japanese. The context may hint if it’s a video game or a general play session, but “gēmu” is usually clear.
