Japanese word

卓球

Pronunciation

Romajitakkyū

Meaning

  • nounping-pong

Example

毎週卓球をします。mai shū tak kyū o shi ma su

I play ping-pong every week.

Illustration for 卓球 (ping-pong)

More examples

休み時間に卓球をします。yasu mi ji kan ni tak kyū o shi ma su

I play ping-pong during recess.

大会で卓球の試合を初めて見ました。tai kai de tak kyū no shi ai o haji me te mi ma shi ta

I watched a ping-pong match for the first time at a tournament.

Core concept

卓球 (takkyū) is built around sending a small ball back and forth so that the opponent cannot return it within the rules.

Common phrases

  • 卓球をするtak kyū o su ru

    play ping-pong

  • 卓球の試合tak kyū no shi ai

    ping-pong match

  • 卓球の大会tak kyū no tai kai

    ping-pong tournament

Similar words

ピンポンpinpon: An informal term for the sport of hitting a small ball across a table.
テーブルテニスtēburutenisu: A formal term commonly used for the sport in official settings and competitions.

Definition in Japanese

卓球台の上で球を相手側へ打ち返し、得点を競う競技。tak kyū dai no ue de tama o ai te gawa e u chi kae shi toku ten o kiso u kyō gi

Word origin

卓球 (takkyū) is a compound of 卓 (taku, "table") and 球 (kyū, "ball"), so its name directly refers to a ball-and-table game.

Usage tips

  • English speakers often use ping-pong in casual conversation, whereas table tennis is common in organized sports and formal contexts.

Word lists with this word