origami

See also: Origami and origâmi

English

Paper cranes folded through origami

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 折(お)り紙(がみ) (origami), from 折(お)り (ori, “to fold”) + 紙(かみ) (kami, “paper”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌɒ.ɹɪˈɡɑː.mɪ/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌɔ.ɹəˈɡɑ.mi/, [ˌɔɹɪ̈ˈɡɑmi]

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːmi

Noun

origami (countable and uncountable, plural origamis)

2. (uncountable) The Japanese art of paper folding.
   • 2022, “Peace Spheres: Ecological Relationship of Self, Others, and the World”, in Building Positive Peace‎^[1], archived from the original on 27 October 2025, page 1:

     JongRak was a 10-year-old boy whose hands, eyes, and questions were all about origami: “Teacher, do you know how to fold a jumping frog?” With his deft little hands, he would teach me and the class how to fold a sunflower and a cicada. At some point, every kid’s little hands and pockets were filled with tiny origami models.

4. (countable) A piece of art made by folding paper.
   • 1993, Communication arts:

     The production notes are folded like the funny origamis that I made in grammar school (only I used to write boy's names inside each section).

5. (uncountable) The materials science technology that applies the art of origami to products.
6. (uncountable) The materials science that studies origami applications in various material.
7. (uncountable) The mathematics field that studies folding two-dimensional surfaces into three-dimensional structures, using folds and creases akin to those in the art of origami.

Coordinate terms

• cootie catcher
• paperfolding
• teabag folding

Derived terms

• aerogami
• cablegami
• microorigami
• origamic
• origamically
• origami crane
• origamilike
• origamist
• scorigami
• thick origami
• toilegami
• weathergami

Related terms

• chiyogami
• kirigami

Translations

Japanese art of paper folding

• Albanian: fletëpalosje (sq) f
• Arabic: أُورِيغَامِي m (ʔuriḡāmī), طَيّ اَلْوَرَق m (ṭayy al-waraq)
• Breton: origami m
• Catalan: papiroflèxia (ca) f
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 摺紙 / 折纸 (zh) (zhézhǐ), 折紙 / 折纸 (zh) (zhézhǐ), 折紙藝術 / 折纸艺术 (zhézhǐ yìshù)

• Czech: origami (cs) n
• Danish: origami (da) c
• Dutch: origami (nl)
• Esperanto: origamio
• Estonian: origami (et)
• Finnish: origami (fi)
• French: origami (fr) m
• Galician: papiroflexia f
• German: Origami (de) n
• Greek: οριγκάμι (el) n (origkámi)
• Hebrew: אוֹרִיגָמִי (he) m (origámi)
• Hindi: ऑरगामी m (ŏrgāmī)
• Hungarian: origami (hu)
• Icelandic: origami n
• Ido: origamio
• Indonesian: origami (id)
• Irish: oragámaí m
• Italian: origami (it) m
• Japanese: 折り紙 (ja), 折紙 (ja) (おりがみ, origami)
• Korean: 종이접기 (ko) (jong'ijeopgi)
• Malay: origami (ms)
• Maori: whētuitui pepa
• Marathi: ओरिगामी f (origāmī)
• Norwegian: origami m
• Persian: اریگامی (origâmi)
• Polish: origami (pl) n
• Portuguese: origâmi (pt) m
• Russian: орига́ми (ru) n (origámi)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: орига̑ми m

  Roman: origȃmi (sh) m

• Spanish: papiroflexia (es) f, origami (es) m
• Swedish: origami c
• Tagalog: origami
• Tamil: ஒரிகாமி (ta) (orikāmi)
• Turkish: origami (tr)
• Ukrainian: оріґа́мі n (origámi), оріга́мі n (orihámi)
• Welsh: origami m

Verb

origami (third-person singular simple present origamis, present participle origamiing, simple past and past participle origamied)

1. (transitive) To construct by means of decorative paper folding.

   He snatched my serviette and swiftly origamied a swan.

Finnish

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 折り紙 (origami), from 折り (ori) + 紙 (kami).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈoriɡɑmi/, [ˈo̞riˌɡɑ̝mi]
• Rhymes: -ɑmi
• Syllabification^(key): o‧ri‧ga‧mi
• Hyphenation^(key): ori‧ga‧mi

Noun

origami

1. origami (Japanese art of paper folding)

Declension

Inflection of origami (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		origami	origamit
genitive		origamin	origamien
partitive		origamia	origameja
illative		origamiin	origameihin
		singular	plural
nominative		origami	origamit
accusative	nom.	origami	origamit
	gen.	origamin
genitive		origamin	origamien
partitive		origamia	origameja
inessive		origamissa	origameissa
elative		origamista	origameista
illative		origamiin	origameihin
adessive		origamilla	origameilla
ablative		origamilta	origameilta
allative		origamille	origameille
essive		origamina	origameina
translative		origamiksi	origameiksi
abessive		origamitta	origameitta
instructive		—	origamein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of origami (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative origamini origamini accusative nom. origamini origamini gen. origamini genitive origamini origamieni partitive origamiani origamejani inessive origamissani origameissani elative origamistani origameistani illative origamiini origameihini adessive origamillani origameillani ablative origamiltani origameiltani allative origamilleni origameilleni essive origaminani origameinani translative origamikseni origameikseni abessive origamittani origameittani instructive — — comitative — origameineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative origamisi origamisi accusative nom. origamisi origamisi gen. origamisi genitive origamisi origamiesi partitive origamiasi origamejasi inessive origamissasi origameissasi elative origamistasi origameistasi illative origamiisi origameihisi adessive origamillasi origameillasi ablative origamiltasi origameiltasi allative origamillesi origameillesi essive origaminasi origameinasi translative origamiksesi origameiksesi abessive origamittasi origameittasi instructive — — comitative — origameinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative origamimme origamimme accusative nom. origamimme origamimme gen. origamimme genitive origamimme origamiemme partitive origamiamme origamejamme inessive origamissamme origameissamme elative origamistamme origameistamme illative origamiimme origameihimme adessive origamillamme origameillamme ablative origamiltamme origameiltamme allative origamillemme origameillemme essive origaminamme origameinamme translative origamiksemme origameiksemme abessive origamittamme origameittamme instructive — — comitative — origameinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative origaminne origaminne accusative nom. origaminne origaminne gen. origaminne genitive origaminne origamienne partitive origamianne origamejanne inessive origamissanne origameissanne elative origamistanne origameistanne illative origamiinne origameihinne adessive origamillanne origameillanne ablative origamiltanne origameiltanne allative origamillenne origameillenne essive origaminanne origameinanne translative origamiksenne origameiksenne abessive origamittanne origameittanne instructive — — comitative — origameinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative origaminsa origaminsa accusative nom. origaminsa origaminsa gen. origaminsa genitive origaminsa origamiensa partitive origamiaan origamiansa origamejaan origamejansa inessive origamissaan origamissansa origameissaan origameissansa elative origamistaan origamistansa origameistaan origameistansa illative origamiinsa origameihinsa adessive origamillaan origamillansa origameillaan origameillansa ablative origamiltaan origamiltansa origameiltaan origameiltansa allative origamilleen origamillensa origameilleen origameillensa essive origaminaan origaminansa origameinaan origameinansa translative origamikseen origamiksensa origameikseen origameiksensa abessive origamittaan origamittansa origameittaan origameittansa instructive — — comitative — origameineen origameinensa

Further reading

• “origami”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 3 July 2023

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 折り紙 (おりがみ, origami), from 折り (おり, ori, “to fold”) + 紙 (かみ, kami, “paper”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔ.ʁi.ɡa.mi/

• Audio (France (Vosges)):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -i

Noun

origami m (plural origamis)

1. (uncountable) origami (Japanese art of paper folding)
2. (countable) origami (piece of art made by folding paper)

Derived terms

• origamique
• origamiquement
• origamiste

Icelandic

Alternative forms

• órigamí

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Japanese 折り紙 (origami), from 折り (ori) + 紙 (kami).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɔːrɪkamɪ/

Noun

origami n (indeclinable)

1. origami (the Japanese art of paper folding)

   Synonym: pappírsbrot (n)

Declension

Declension of origami (sg-only neuter)

	singular
	indefinite	definite
nominative	origami	origamiið
accusative	origami	origamiið
dative	origami	origaminu
genitive	origami	origamiins

Indonesian

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 折り紙 (origami), from 折り (ori) + 紙 (kami).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /o.ri.ɡa.mi/
• Hyphenation: o‧ri‧ga‧mi

Noun

origami (uncountable)

1. origami (Japanese art of paper folding)

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 折り紙 (origami), from 折り (ori) + 紙 (kami).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /o.riˈɡa.mi/, (rare, less-preferred) /oˈri.ɡa.mi/
• Rhymes: -ami, (rare, less-preferred) -iɡami
• Hyphenation: o‧ri‧gà‧mi, (rare, less-preferred) o‧rì‧ga‧mi

Noun

origami m (invariable)

1. (uncountable) origami (Japanese art of paper folding)
2. (countable) origami (piece of art made by folding paper)

Derived terms

• origamista

Anagrams

• giriamo

Japanese

Romanization

origami

1. Rōmaji transcription of おりがみ

Polish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Japanese 折り紙 (origami), from 折り (ori) + 紙 (kami).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɔ.riˈɡa.mi/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ami
• Syllabification: o‧ri‧ga‧mi

Noun

origami n (indeclinable)

1. origami (Japanese art of paper folding)

Further reading

• origami in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from Japanese 折り紙 (origami), from 折り (ori) + 紙 (kami).

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /o.ɾiˈɡɐ̃.mi/

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /o.ɾiˈɡɐ̃.mi/
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /o.ɾiˈɡɐ.mi/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ɔ.ɾiˈɡɐ.mi/ [ɔ.ɾiˈɣɐ.mi]

Noun

origami m (countable and uncountable, plural origamis)

1. unadapted form of origâmi

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 折り紙 (origami), from 折り (ori) + 紙 (kami).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /oɾiˈɡami/ [o.ɾiˈɣ̞a.mi]
• Rhymes: -ami
• Syllabification: o‧ri‧ga‧mi

Noun

origami m (plural origamis)

1. (uncountable) origami (Japanese art of paper folding)

   Synonym: papiroflexia

   Coordinate term: pajarita

2. (countable) origami (piece of art made by folding paper)

Further reading

• “origami”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 10 December 2024

Welsh

Etymology

From English origami, from Japanese 折り紙.

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /ˌɔrɪˈɡami/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /ˌɔrɪˈɡaːmi/, /ˌɔrɪˈɡami/

Noun

origami m (uncountable)

1. origami (Japanese art of paper folding)

Mutation

Mutated forms of origami

radical	soft	nasal	h-prothesis
origami	unchanged	unchanged	horigami

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “origami”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies