How to say "album" in Japanese

Choosing the right word

アルバムJLPT N3approx.Common
nounThe common word for 'album': it covers photo albums, music albums and the like, and is the default choice for most senses of the English word.
棚たなにアルバムがある。↗
There is an album on the shelf.
曲集きょくしゅう
nounA less common word for a collection of musical pieces, also rendered 'studies' or 'suite'. As 'album' it fits only a set of pieces gathered together; for photo albums or music albums, use アルバム.

For the usual senses of 'album' — a photo album or a music album — 「アルバム」 is the common word; 曲集, less common, means a collection of musical pieces and matches 'album' only in that sense.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese equivalents

アルバムalbum
曲集きょくしゅうcollection (of musical pieces)

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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