How to say "globe" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 玉たまnounThe everyday word for a ball or other small round object. Its gloss 'globe' is marginal: it evokes a ball or orb, never the Earth or a globe of the world.
- 球きゅうnounThe formal term for a sphere or ball, at home in mathematics and compounds; its 'globe' sense is the geometric sphere, not the everyday ball or the Earth.
- 球体きゅうたいnounA solid, three-dimensional sphere — a spherical body or orb. Close to 球 but pointing to the concrete object or its shape; a good match for 'globe' when you mean something physically round.
These cover 'globe' as a shape, not the Earth: use 玉 for an everyday ball or other small round object, 球 for the sphere in technical language and compounds, and 球体 for a solid spherical body or orb.
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).
