Translation guide
A tatami mat is a traditional Japanese flooring mat made of woven rush grass. This guide explains how to refer to tatami mats in Japanese, including counting, types, and related expressions.
The most common way to refer to a tatami mat as an object.
The standard word for a tatami mat. Used for both the material and individual mats.
新しい畳を買いました。
I bought new tatami mats.
この部屋は畳が敷いてあります。
This room has tatami mats laid out.
Refers specifically to the woven rush surface of a tatami mat, not the whole mat. Used in contexts of repair or material.
畳表を張り替えました。
I had the tatami surface replaced.
How to count tatami mats, often used to describe room size.
The counter for tatami mats is 畳 (じょう). It is attached to a number to indicate how many mats, and by extension, room size. Note that the reading changes from たたみ to じょう.
六畳の部屋
a six-tatami-mat room
この部屋は八畳です。
This room is eight tatami mats in size.
A noun meaning 'the number of tatami mats' or 'mat count', used in real estate or architectural contexts.
畳数で部屋の広さを表します。
Room size is expressed in tatami mat count.
Referring to specific kinds of tatami, such as half-mats or new materials.
A half-size tatami mat, often used in layouts to fit irregular room shapes.
半畳を入れて部屋を敷き詰めました。
We filled the room using half-mats.
Expressions involving sitting, sleeping, or the condition of tatami.
To sit on the tatami. Often implies sitting directly on the floor in a traditional style.
畳に座ってお茶を飲みました。
We sat on the tatami and drank tea.
Describes tatami becoming old, often turning yellow or losing its fresh smell.
畳が古くなってきたので、そろそろ替え時です。
The tatami is getting old, so it's about time to replace it.
In Japan, room size is often given in 畳 (じょう). One 畳 is roughly 1.65 m², but exact dimensions vary by region. A 六畳 room is a common size for a single bedroom.
畳 refers to the mats themselves, while 和室 (わしつ) means a Japanese-style room, which typically has tatami flooring. Not all rooms with tatami are called 和室 in casual conversation, but 和室 always implies tatami.
Okinawan-style tatami, often with a different weave pattern and sometimes without a cloth edge. Considered a regional variation.
琉球畳は縁がないのが特徴です。
Ryukyu tatami is characterized by having no cloth edge.