テレビ

• Reading: テレビ
• Romaji: terebi
• Kanji breakdown: From English 'television' → テレビジョン → abbreviated to テレビ
• Pronunciation: /te.ɾe.bi/

Meaning

Television — the universally used Japanese abbreviation of テレビジョン, now the standard word for TV.

テレビ is one of the oldest and most completely naturalised abbreviations in Japanese. Originally shortened from テレビジョン (terebijon, from English 'television'), it has fully replaced the original form in everyday use. No one in modern Japan says テレビジョン in casual speech. It can refer to both the physical device and TV programming in general.

Examples

1. 今日テレビで何か面白いのやってる？ Is there anything good on TV today?
2. テレビばっかり見てないで勉強しなさい。 Stop watching TV all the time and go study!
3. 最近テレビよりYouTubeばっか見てるわ。 Lately I've been watching YouTube way more than TV.

Usage Guide

Context: daily conversation, family, any context

Tone: neutral, everyday

Do Say

• テレビつけて、ニュース見たい。 (Turn on the TV, I want to watch the news.)
• テレビ離れが進んでるって言われてるよね。 (They say people are moving away from TV.)

Don't Say

• 「テレビジョン」と言う (Don't say テレビジョン in conversation — it sounds extremely dated and formal)

Common Mistakes

• Thinking テレビ is slang — it is now the standard, neutral word for television
• Using テレビジョン thinking it sounds more proper — it actually sounds awkward in modern Japanese

Origin & History

Abbreviated from テレビジョン (terebijon), the Japanese transliteration of English 'television.' Adopted during the spread of television in Japan in the 1950s. The abbreviation became so standard that the full form is virtually unused.

Cultural Context

Era: 1950s, universally adopted

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan by all demographics. One of the most successful abbreviations in the language — completely replaced the full form.