How to say "arsenic" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- ヒ素ひそnounThe word for arsenic as a chemical element (As) — the choice when discussing the substance itself, whether in chemistry or in talk of arsenic poisoning.
- nounA katakana rendering of the English word, meaning arsenic itself; it is a less common choice, and ヒ素 is the word you will normally want for the element.
- nounEssentially another katakana form of the same foreign word; a marginal way to say arsenic, and seldom the word you want — use ヒ素 for the element.
- 自然砒しぜんひnounSpecifically native arsenic: the element occurring naturally as a mineral, a term from mineralogy; for arsenic in any other sense, ヒ素 is the word to use.
Use 「ヒ素」 for arsenic as an element or poison; 自然砒 only for the mineral native arsenic; 「アーセニック」 and 「アーセン」 are uncommon katakana borrowings of the English word that learners seldom need.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
