How to say "dancing" in Japanese

• ダンスJLPT N3approx.Common
  noun, suru verb, intransitive verbThe general word for dancing as an activity — social dancing, dance lessons, going dancing. When you simply mean dancing in an ordinary context, this is the word you want.
  ダンスはスタイルをよくするのにいい。↗

  Dancing is good for the figure.
• 舞まいCommon
  nounA dance as a staged performance, especially in traditional Japanese performing arts; it names the dance itself rather than the activity of dancing for fun.
  ダンサーの優美ゆうびな舞まいは観衆かんしゅうを魅了みりょうした。↗

  The dancer's graceful action charmed the audience.
• 舞踊ぶようCommon
  nounDancing as an art form; used when treating dance as a discipline to be studied and performed on stage rather than a casual night out.
  舞踊ぶようがみたいのですが情報じょうほうをください。↗

  I'd like to see some dancing. Do you have any information?
• 舞踏ぶとうCommon
  noun, suru verb, intransitive verbDance, especially of the Western kind; it is also the name of the Japanese avant-garde genre known in English as butoh. For everyday dancing ダンス is the word you want.
  机つくえの上うえに舞踏ぶとうについての本ほんがある。↗

  There is a book on dancing on the desk.
• ダンシングCommon
  nounA direct borrowing of English 'dancing'; it appears mainly in titles, names and specialist jargon, and as a word for the activity itself it is seldom what you want — ダンス is the natural choice.

Use 「ダンス」 for dancing as an everyday activity; 舞 for a traditional staged dance and 舞踊 for dance as an art form; 舞踏 for Western-style dance and the butoh genre; 「ダンシング」 is a marginal loanword.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• ダンスdance
• 舞まいdancing
• 舞踊ぶようdancing
• 舞踏ぶとうdance (esp. Western style)
• ダンシングdancing
• 舞蹈ぶとうdancing
• 飄々ひょうひょうfluttering (in the wind)