How to say "tomb" in Japanese

• 墓はかJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounThe everyday word for a grave or gravesite, and the usual choice when 'tomb' means a burial place, such as a family grave.
  私は彼かれの墓はかを立ち去たちさり難がたかった。↗

  I hesitated to leave his grave.
• 墳墓ふんぼCommon
  nounA formal word for a grave or tomb, typical of written and historical contexts and often used of old or notable tombs; not the natural choice for a family grave.
  全ぜん地球ちきゅうは有名人ゆうめいじんの墳墓ふんぼである。↗

  The whole earth is the sepulchre of famous men.
• 塚つかCommon
  nounSpecifically an earthen mound raised over a burial — a tumulus or barrow; use it when 'tomb' means such a mound, not an ordinary grave.
• 石室せきしつCommon
  nounLiterally a stone burial chamber — the stone room within some old tombs; it fits 'tomb' only when you mean that chamber itself, and is seldom the general word for a tomb.

Use 墓 for a grave or tomb in general; 墳墓 is a formal term for tombs, especially old or notable ones; 塚 is an earthen burial mound, and 石室 a stone burial chamber.

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

• 墓はかgrave
• 墳墓ふんぼgrave
• 奥津城おくつきfamily grave
• 塚つかburial mound
• 石室せきしつtomb