Translation guide
A small model of a human, often used as a toy or decoration. In Japanese, the most common word is 人形 (にんぎょう), but there are specific terms for traditional dolls, stuffed dolls, and figurines.
The speaker wants to refer to a doll as a child's toy or a decorative item shaped like a person.
The general term for a doll, including both toys and decorative figures. It can refer to Western-style dolls, traditional Japanese dolls, and even puppets.
彼女は人形を集めています。
She collects dolls.
この人形は祖母からもらいました。
I got this doll from my grandmother.
A loanword from English, often used for fashion dolls, ball-jointed dolls, or in the context of doll collecting. It can sound more stylish or specific than 人形.
このドールはとてもリアルですね。
This doll is very realistic, isn't it?
The speaker wants to refer specifically to a traditional Japanese doll, such as those displayed for Hinamatsuri or made of wood/cloth.
Still the general term, but in context it covers traditional dolls. Often used in compound words like 雛人形 (hina dolls).
ひな祭りには雛人形を飾ります。
We display hina dolls for the Doll Festival.
A specific type of traditional wooden doll from the Tohoku region, with a cylindrical body and round head. Not a general term for doll.
The speaker wants to refer to a soft, stuffed doll, often an animal or character.
The standard word for a stuffed toy or plushie. It can be animal-shaped or human-shaped, but it's always soft and stuffed.
子供はぬいぐるみを抱いて寝ています。
The child is sleeping hugging a stuffed doll.
このクマのぬいぐるみはとても柔らかいです。
This teddy bear (stuffed bear) is very soft.
The speaker wants to refer to a small plastic or resin figure, often of a character, for display rather than play.
A loanword used for collectible figurines, action figures, and scale models of characters. Not used for traditional dolls or stuffed toys.
彼はアニメのフィギュアをたくさん持っています。
He has a lot of anime figurines.
Can also be used for action figures or figurines in a broad sense, but フィギュア is more specific and common among collectors.
The speaker wants to refer to a doll manipulated by strings or hand, used in performances.
Used in compounds like 指人形 (finger puppet) or 操り人形 (marionette). The general word 人形 covers puppets as well.
彼は人形劇をしています。
He does puppet theater.
A loanword from English, often used for hand puppets or in educational/entertainment contexts. Less common than 人形 for traditional puppetry.
子供たちはパペットで遊んでいます。
The children are playing with puppets.
人形 is the broadest term for any human-shaped doll, including traditional and modern. ぬいぐるみ specifically means a stuffed toy (usually soft, often animal-shaped). フィギュア refers to collectible figurines, often made of plastic and based on characters. Use 人形 when in doubt, but for stuffed animals, always use ぬいぐるみ.
人形：雛人形、着せ替え人形
Doll: hina doll, dress-up doll
ぬいぐるみ：テディベア、キャラクターのぬいぐるみ
Stuffed toy: teddy bear, character plushie
フィギュア：アクションフィギュア、スケールフィギュア
Figurine: action figure, scale figure
ドール is a loanword that can sound unnatural if used for traditional Japanese dolls or generic toy dolls. It's best reserved for fashion dolls (like Barbie) or ball-jointed dolls in collector contexts. For everyday dolls, stick with 人形 or ぬいぐるみ.
Kokeshi are traditional dolls from the Tohoku region.
この人形は可動式です。
This doll is poseable.