What does “bakudan” mean in Japanese?
Native speakers say “bakudan” to mean ‘bomb’ in Japanese. Perhaps, some Japanese learners know this word as it is sometimes used in Japanese movies, songs, novels, manga, anime, and the like. In this blog post, however, I will explain this word in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I will explain how to use it through example sentences. My explanations would help Japanese learners understand “bakudan” more clearly. Then, let’s get started!
Contents
Definition and meaning of “bakudan”
Let me start with the definition and meaning of “bakudan”.
- bakudan – 爆弾 (ばくだん) : a noun meaning ‘bomb’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. Learn more about Japanese plural.
Normally, native speakers use this noun to refer to a bomb or bombs in Japanese. In addition, they sometimes use this as a metaphor for something shocking.
The definition and meaning are simple and clear. To understand this noun more clearly, however, let me explain its kanji characters in detail, one by one.
Bakudan in kanji
The kanji expression of “bakudan” consists of the following two kanji characters:
- 爆 : a kanji character used to refer to the act of bursting. This can also be found in other words like “bakuhatsu“.
- 弾 : a kanji character used to mean ‘bullet’, ‘shot’, or such in Japanese.
These two kanji characters tell us that “bakudan” literally means a ‘bursting bullet’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable, I think. Bombs are often bullet-shaped materials which can burst.

When we meet new kanji expressions, we should check their kanji characters in detail to understand their meanings clearly and deeply. In many cases, kanji characters tell us a lot about the meanings of the expressions they form. Actually, here, we could get the better understanding of “bakudan” through the detailed kanji check above.
So far, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “bakudan” together with its kanji characters. Then, let me explain how to use it through the example sentences below.
Example #1: how to say “bombs” in Japanese
watashi tachi ga bakudan wo tsukut ta – 私達が爆弾を作った (わたしたちがばくだんをつくった)
We made bombs.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- watashi – 私 (わたし) : a pronoun meaning ‘I’ in Japanese.
- tachi – 達 (たち) : a suffix used after a noun or pronoun to make its plural form. In the example, this is used after “watashi” to make its plural form, “watashi tachi”, which means ‘we’ in Japanese.
- ga – が : a case particle used to make the subject word or the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “watashi tachi” to make the subject in the sentence.
- wo – を : a case particle used to make the object word in a sentence. In the example, this is used after “bakudan” to make the object in the sentence.
- tsukut – 作っ (つくっ) : one conjugation of the verb, “tsukuru“, which means ‘to make’ or such in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
- ta – た : an auxiliary verb used after a verb, adjective, or auxiliary verb to make its past tense form. In the example, this is used after “tsukut” to make its past tense form, “tsukut ta”.
This is a typical usage of “bakudan”. In this example, it works together with the case particle, “wo”, to become the object in the sentence.
Example #2: another usage of “bakudan”
kanojo wa bakudan wo otoshi ta – 彼女は爆弾を落とした (かのじょはばくだんをおとした)
She dropped a bomb.
Below are the new words used in the example sentence.
- kanojo – 彼女 (かのじょ) : a pronoun meaning ‘she’ in Japanese.
- wa – は : a binding particle working as a case marker or topic marker. In the example, this works after “kanojo” to make the subject in the sentence.
- otoshi – 落とし (おとし) : one conjugation of the verb, “otosu”, which means ‘to drop’ in Japanese. In the example, it has been conjugated for the better connection with its following word.
This is another typical usage of “bakudan”. In this example, it works as a metaphor for something shocking. The English noun, “bomb”, can work in the same way too, I think.
Summary
In this blog post, I’ve explained the definition and meaning of “bakudan” in detail based on its kanji expression. And also, I’ve explained how to use it through the example sentences. Let me summarize them as follows.
- bakudan – 爆弾 (ばくだん) : a noun meaning ‘bomb’ in Japanese. This can also work as plural. These two kanji characters literally mean a ‘bursting bullet’ in Japanese. This literal interpretation is not completely in line with the actual meaning, but still understandable, I think. Bombs are often bullet-shaped materials which can burst. Normally, native speakers use this noun to refer to a bomb or bombs in Japanese. In addition, they sometimes use this as a metaphor for something shocking.
Hope my explanations are understandable and helpful for Japanese learners.