How to say "doll" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 人形にんぎょうnounThe everyday word for a doll as a physical object, such as a child's toy or a decorative figure; it also covers puppets and marionettes, making it the default choice for 'doll'.
- nounA loanword from English with the same basic sense; being less common, it is seldom the word you want — 人形 serves ordinary uses, while this appears mostly in hobby contexts for Western-style dolls.
- expression, nounNot a word for an actual doll: it is an insult meaning a blockhead or dummy, a slow-witted person. It is normally written in kana rather than kanji.
- 偶人ぐうじんnounA rarer, more literary word for a doll or puppet, found mainly in written and scholarly contexts; for an ordinary doll, 人形 is the natural choice.
Choose 人形 for any actual doll (it also covers puppets); 「ドール」 is a rarer English loanword for the same thing; 偶人 is a literary alternative; 「でくのぼう」 is not a doll at all but an insult meaning blockhead.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
This browser can't play pronunciations (needs Safari 18.4 or later, or Chrome / Edge / Firefox).
