Japanese word

楕円

Pronunciation

Romajidaen

Meaning

  • nounellipse

Example

紙に楕円を描きます。kami ni da en o ega ki ma su

I draw an ellipse on paper.

Illustration for 楕円 (ellipse)

More examples

この鏡は楕円の形をしています。ko no kagami wa da en no katachi o shi te i ma su

This mirror has an oval shape.

Core concept

Describes a closed, smoothly curved shape that extends farther in one direction than in the other.

Common phrases

  • 楕円を描くda en o ega ku

    draw an ellipse

  • 楕円の面積da en no men seki

    area of an ellipse

Definition in Japanese

円を一方向に引き伸ばしたような形の閉じた曲線。en o ichi hō kō ni hi ki no ba shi ta yō na katachi no to ji ta kyoku sen

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese compound 楕円 (daen) combines 楕 (da, "oblong") and 円 (en, "circle"), expressing the idea of an elongated circle.

Usage tips

  • In English, oval is common for egg-like shapes, while ellipse is the precise mathematical term for the curve called 楕円 (daen).

Other meanings

  • ovalnoun

Word lists with this word