おもちゃ

• Reading: おもちゃ
• Romaji: omocha
• Pronunciation: /o.mo.t͡ɕa/

Meaning

A toy. An object for children to play with.

Almost always written in hiragana rather than the kanji 玩具. Covers all types of toys, from stuffed animals to building blocks. おもちゃ屋 (omochaya) means 'toy store.' Can also be used figuratively to describe something treated carelessly.

Examples

1. 子どもが新しいおもちゃで遊んでいる。 The child is playing with a new toy.
2. 誕生日におもちゃを買ってあげた。 I bought a toy for their birthday.
3. おもちゃ屋さんに行きたい。 I want to go to the toy store.

Usage Guide

Context: children, shopping, play

Tone: friendly

Origin & History

Derived from 持て遊び (mote-asobi, something held for play), which was shortened and transformed over time. The kanji 玩具 is a later Sino-Japanese overlay rarely used in practice.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo

Generation: Children and parents

Social background: Universal