Japanese word

お土産

Pronunciation

Romajiomiyage

Meaning

  • nounsouvenir

Example

旅行でお土産を買いました。ryo kō de o miyage o ka i ma shi ta

I bought a souvenir on my trip.

Illustration for お土産 (souvenir)

More examples

空港でお土産を探しています。kū kō de o miyage o saga shi te i ma su

I am looking for souvenirs at the airport.

Core concept

Refers to an object that carries a place's memory back from a journey, either for the traveler or as a gift for another person.

Common phrases

  • お土産を買うo miyage o ka u

    buy a souvenir

  • お土産を渡すo miyage o wata su

    give a souvenir

  • お土産をもらうo miyage o mo ra u

    receive a souvenir

Similar words

手土産temiyage: A gift brought when visiting someone, often as a courtesy.
記念品kinenhin: An object kept to preserve the memory of a place, event, or occasion.
土産物miyagemono: A product associated with a particular place and bought there as a keepsake or gift.

Definition in Japanese

旅先で記念や贈り物のために持ち帰る品。tabi saki de ki nen ya oku ri mono no ta me ni mo chi kae ru shina

Word origin

お土産 (omiyage) combines the polite prefix お (o) with 土産 (miyage), which denotes a local product or a product brought from a place.

Usage tips

  • The Japanese sense of souvenir commonly includes small gifts for family, friends, or coworkers, making the word useful when describing what a traveler brings back for others.

Word lists with this word