Translation guide
The English word "tongue" can refer to the physical organ, the sense of taste, a language or way of speaking, a shape or object resembling a tongue, and more. This guide helps learners choose the right Japanese expression for each meaning.
The fleshy muscular organ in the mouth used for tasting, swallowing, and speaking.
The standard word for the tongue as a body part. Used in medical, everyday, and anatomical contexts.
I bit my tongue.
A cat's tongue is rough.
The ability to perceive flavors, or the flavors themselves.
Refers to the sense of taste. Often used in phrases like "sense of taste" or "taste buds".
I lost my sense of taste due to a cold.
An idiomatic phrase meaning "to have a refined palate" or "to be a gourmet." Literally "one's tongue is fat."
Describes the texture or mouthfeel of food on the tongue, like smoothness or roughness.
A particular language, dialect, or manner of speech.
The formal term for "language." Used in academic or official contexts. Not used for casual reference to a native tongue.
He speaks three languages.
Means "mother tongue" or "native language." Commonly used in linguistics and everyday conversation.
A more general word for "language," "speech," or "words." Can be used in phrases like "native tongue" in a warm, personal sense.
Describes a sharp or cutting way of speaking; literally "sharp tongue." Used for someone who speaks critically or harshly.
Something that resembles a tongue in shape, such as a flame, a strip of land, or a part of a shoe.
Means "tongue-shaped" and is used in technical or descriptive contexts, like geography or anatomy.
A tongue-shaped piece of land juts out into the sea.
A colloquial or childish word for "tongue," but also used for tongue-shaped objects like the flap of a shoe or a lollipop. Often written in katakana.
Literally "tongue of fire," used poetically for flames or a tongue of flame.
Tongues of flame were coming out of the window.
Common English idioms involving "tongue" and their natural Japanese equivalents.
Literally "cat's tongue." Used to describe someone who is sensitive to hot food or drinks, similar to the English idiom "cat got your tongue?" but with a different meaning.
I have a cat's tongue, so I can't drink hot coffee.
An idiom meaning "to be astonished" or "to be amazed," literally "to roll one's tongue." Similar to "to be tongue-tied" in surprise.
Literally "two-tongued," meaning duplicity or speaking with a forked tongue. Used for someone who says different things to different people.
While "mother tongue" can be translated as 母語 (ぼご), using 母の舌 (ははのした) is incorrect and would be interpreted literally as "mother's tongue" (the organ). Stick to 母語 or 母国語 (ぼこくご) for "native language."
舌 (した) is the standard, neutral word for the tongue organ. ベロ is a colloquial, often childish or informal variant, also used for tongue-shaped objects. Use 舌 in formal or medical contexts, and ベロ in casual speech or when referring to things like shoe tongues or licking.
The child stuck out their tongue.
He has a refined palate, so he doesn't drink cheap wine.
This pudding has a smooth texture on the tongue.
My mother tongue is Japanese.
故郷の言葉が懐かしい。
I miss the language of my hometown.
Everyone fell silent at his sharp-tongued criticism.
The tongue of my shoe slipped.
彼の知識には舌を巻いた。
I was amazed by his knowledge.
He is a two-tongued politician.