How To Say Google It In Japanese:12 Expressions

You are sitting in a cafe in Tokyo and your friend says something you don’t understand. Your instinct is to say “just Google it!” — but how do you say that in Japanese? The answer is one slick little verb: ググる (guguru). It’s one of the clearest examples of how English internet culture has been absorbed directly into everyday Japanese.

Yuka

わからなかったらとりあえずググってみて！
(If you don’t understand, just try Googling it for now!)

Rei

もう調しらべたよ。グーグルで調しらべたら出でてきた。
(I already looked it up. I found it by searching on Google.)

At a Glance: ググる vs. 調しらべる

ググる — The Slang Verb

ググる is a slang verb coined by combining グーグル (Google) with the verb ending -る, following a pattern common in Japanese internet slang. It conjugates as a regular う-verb: ググります, ググる, ググらない, ググった, ググらなかった. Because Google’s pronunciation in Japanese is グーグル (gu-gu-ru), shortening it to ググ + る sounds exactly right.

Yuka

ちょっとググってみよう。
(Let me Google it quick.)

Rei

それ、ネットでググったら答こたえがすぐ出でるよ。
(If you Google that online, the answer will come up right away.)

ググる is perfectly natural between friends and in online conversation, but if you are writing an email to a teacher or coworker, switch to グーグルで調しらべる or simply 調しらべる.

Other Ways to Say “Look It Up”

Japanese has several expressions for searching and looking things up, each with its own nuance.

Using ググる in Context

Yuka

えっ、その単語たんご知らない。ちょっとググる。
(Huh, I don’t know that word. Let me Google it real quick.)

Rei

店みせの場所ばしょはグーグルマップでググればわかるよ。
(You can find the shop’s location by Googling it on Google Maps.)

Yuka

仕事しごとでは「グーグルで調しらべます」と言いった方ほうがいいよ。
(At work, it’s better to say “I’ll look it up on Google.”)

Quick Quiz

Choose the most appropriate expression for each situation.

1. Telling a friend to look something up: “それ______よ。” (Just Google it.)
2. Emailing a client: “______てご確認かくにんください。” (Please look it up and confirm.)
3. Asking how to find the shop: “場所ばしょは______ばわかりますか？” (Can I find the location by searching?)

Answers: 1. ググって   2. グーグルで調しらべ   3. ググれ or 検索けんさくすれ

ググる is one of those verbs that makes Japanese conversations feel immediate and modern. Use it freely with friends; swap in グーグルで調しらべる or 調しらべる whenever you need a more professional tone.

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