How to say "ballot" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 投票とうひょうnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbCovers the act of voting — casting a ballot, or an election or poll as a process. This is the usual word when talking about voting in an election or referendum.２０歳になっていれば、投票できるのに。↗If I were twenty, I could vote.
- 票ひょうnoun, noun (suffix), counterRefers to a vote or ballot as a countable unit — as in votes won, counted, or lost. Use it when discussing numbers of ballots rather than the act of voting.
- 採決さいけつnoun, suru verb, transitive verbMeans a formal vote taken to decide a matter, such as in a committee, parliament, or meeting; the related English gloss is 'division'. It is not the usual word for election ballots.
Use 投票 for the act of voting in general, 票 for an individual vote or ballot as a countable thing, and 採決 for taking a formal vote in a meeting or assembly.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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