Sumo Terms You Will Hear in English Commentary
English-language sumo commentary does not translate everything. About twenty Japanese words are simply left in — and if you do not know them, whole sentences stop making sense. Here they are, in the order a bout hands them to you.
This page is arranged by when you will hear it, not alphabetically. Every term links to the page that explains it properly, and all of them are in the glossary.
Before the bout
| You hear | It means |
|---|---|
| 力士 rikishi | A sumo wrestler. Used far more often than "wrestler". |
| まわし mawashi | The belt. Not clothing — the handle a bout is fought over. |
| 仕切り shikiri | The crouch. They will do it several times before the real start. |
| 四股 shiko | The leg stomp. |
| 待ったなし matta nashi | "No more waiting." The time limit is up; the next crouch must be the start. |
The start
| You hear | It means |
|---|---|
| 立合い tachiai | The charge. The moment both men agree to begin. |
| 待った matta | A request to reset, made before anyone launches. |
| 変化 henka | Sidestepping at the charge. Expect the arena to sigh. |
Tachiai is the single most useful word on this page. Commentary will describe a whole bout in terms of who "won the tachiai", and if you do not know the word you will miss the analysis of the moment that decided it.
During and at the finish
| You hear | It means |
|---|---|
| 四つ yotsu | Locked up, holding the belt. The grappling style. |
| 押し oshi | Pushing, at arm's length. The other style. |
| 俵 tawara | The straw bales that form the edge. |
| 決まり手 kimarite | The official name of how the bout was won, announced at the end. |
| 押し出し oshidashi | Pushed out, bodies apart. One of the two most common results. |
| 寄り切り yorikiri | Forced out while holding on. The other one. |
| 物言い mono-ii | An objection to the call. Five judges and the referee confer on the ring. |
About the tournament
| You hear | It means |
|---|---|
| 本場所 basho | A tournament. Fifteen days, six times a year. |
| 勝ち越し kachikoshi | A winning record — the number that moves careers. |
| 負け越し makekoshi | A losing record. |
| 千秋楽 senshuraku | The final day. |
| 優勝 yusho | The championship, awarded in each division. |
| 番付 banzuke | The ranking sheet. Everything is measured against it. |
About the men
| You hear | It means |
|---|---|
| 関取 sekitori | A salaried wrestler — the top two divisions. |
| 横綱 yokozuna | The top rank, which cannot be demoted. |
| 大関 ozeki | The rank below it. |
| 角番 kadoban | An ozeki on notice after a losing record. |
| 部屋 heya | The stable a wrestler belongs to. |
| 行司 gyoji | The referee, on the clay in the distinctive costume. |
What to watch for
Have this page open beside the broadcast for one day of a tournament. Every time you hear a Japanese word you do not know, find it here rather than guessing from context.
By the second day you will need it much less, and by the end of a tournament you will not need it at all. There are only about twenty words, and a bout hands them to you in the same order every time.
Every term on this site, with readings, meanings and a link to the page that explains each one.