How to say "paint" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 塗るぬるgodan verb, transitive verbThe verb for applying paint to a surface; it also covers spreading or applying things like cream or lotion. Choose it when you mean the action of painting a wall, fence, or similar surface.
- 描くえがくgodan verb, transitive verbCovers the artistic sense of painting, alongside drawing and sketching. Use it when 'paint' means to create a picture or artwork, not when applying paint to a wall or object.
- 塗料とりょうnounThe noun for paint as a substance or material, such as coating or varnish used on surfaces. This is the word for house paint or industrial paint, not for the act of painting.
- 絵の具えのぐexpression, nounPaint in the artist's sense: the coloring materials used for pictures. Use this when you mean watercolors, acrylics, or the paint children use, not paint for walls.
- nounA loanword covering 'paint'. It is a valid borrowing, but for most senses 塗る, 塗料, or 絵の具 is the more natural choice depending on whether you mean the action or the material.
Use 「塗る」 for applying paint (or cream) to a surface, 「描く」 for creating pictures, 塗料 for paint as a material, 「絵の具」 for artists' paint, and 「ペイント」 mainly as a borrowed term for paint or painting.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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