How to say "billboard" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 看板かんばんnounThe general word for a sign or signboard; it also covers billboards — large advertising signs such as those beside roads or outside shops.
- nounThe loanword from English; it covers the large outdoor advertising boards, typically big panels erected beside roads or on buildings.
- 立て看板たてかんばんnounA standing signboard: a freestanding sign on its own legs or posts, typically by a road or outside a shop; its 'billboard' sense is this standing kind.
Use 看板 for signs and billboards in general, the loanword 「ビルボード」 for the large outdoor advertising boards, and 「立て看板」 for billboards that stand on their own posts.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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