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.
舌を噛んだ。
I bit my tongue.
猫の舌はざらざらしている。
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".
風邪で味覚がなくなった。
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."
彼は舌が肥えているから、安いワインは飲まない。
He has a refined palate, so he doesn't drink cheap wine.
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.
彼は三つの言語を話す。
He speaks three languages.
Means "mother tongue" or "native language." Commonly used in linguistics and everyday conversation.
私の母語は日本語です。
My mother tongue is Japanese.
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.
彼の舌鋒鋭い批判に皆が黙った。
Everyone fell silent at his sharp-tongued criticism.
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.
舌状の土地が海に突き出ている。
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.
靴のベロがずれた。
The tongue of my shoe slipped.
Literally "tongue of fire," used poetically for flames or a tongue of flame.
火の舌が窓から出ていた。
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.
私は猫の舌だから、熱いコーヒーが飲めない。
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.
彼の知識には舌を巻いた。
I was amazed by his knowledge.
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.
子供がベロを出した。
The child stuck out their tongue.
このプリンの舌触りはなめらかだ。
This pudding has a smooth texture on the tongue.
故郷の言葉が懐かしい。
I miss the language of my hometown.
彼は二枚舌を使う政治家だ。
He is a two-tongued politician.