How to say "pumpkin" in Japanese

• かぼちゃCommon
  nounThe everyday word for the pumpkin or squash you eat, covering the vegetable in any context; it is normally written in kana, and this is the word to reach for first.
  なんて大おおきなかぼちゃなんだ！↗

  What a big pumpkin!
• パンプキン
  nounA loanword from English, much less common than かぼちゃ; you will mostly meet it in Western-style food contexts such as flavor and dessert names, while the vegetable itself is かぼちゃ.
• 唐茄子とうなす
  nounA less common word for squash or pumpkin; in ordinary talk about the vegetable it is seldom the word you want, and かぼちゃ covers both senses.
• 南京ナンキン
  nounThese characters also name the Chinese city Nanjing, a far more familiar use; as a word for pumpkin or squash it is uncommon, and かぼちゃ is the safe choice.

Use 「かぼちゃ」 for the vegetable itself in virtually any context; 「パンプキン」 is a loanword heard mostly in Western-style food contexts, while 唐茄子 and 南京 are uncommon alternatives that learners seldom need.

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

• かぼちゃpumpkin (Cucurbita sp.)
• パンプキンpumpkin
• 唐茄子とうなすsquash
• 南京ナンキンpumpkin