How to say "artificial" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 人工じんこうno-adjectiveCovers 'artificial' as man-made: things made by human work or skill rather than by nature. Typical contexts are constructed or manufactured things and environments, presented as products of human effort.
- 人造じんぞうno-adjectiveAlso 'man-made', but with the emphasis on imitation and the synthetic: things produced as substitutes for naturally occurring materials or products. Choose it when the point is that something imitates or replaces a natural original.
- 人工的じんこうてきna-adjectiveThe adjectival 'artificial': describes things that seem made rather than natural — an appearance, a flavor, a landscape — with the nuance that they feel unnatural. Use it when commenting on the artificial quality of something.
- 人為的じんいてきna-adjectiveCovers 'artificial' as human-caused: events or outcomes brought about by human action rather than by nature, as with mistakes, errors and disasters. It can also mean man-made, but its core use is human agency.
- 不自然ふしぜんna-adjective, nounPrimarily 'unnatural': its 'artificial' rendering applies to manner, behavior or appearance that seems affected, strained or forced. It is not the word for man-made things; use it only where artificiality means a lack of naturalness.
Use 人工 or 人造 for man-made things (人造 stressing imitation or synthetic make-up), 人工的 for things that seem artificial rather than natural, 人為的 for events caused by human action, and 不自然 for unnatural, affected manner.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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