How to say "bog" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 湿地しっちnounThe general word for wet, waterlogged ground or wetland, emphasizing sodden land rather than open water; use it when 'bog' means a stretch of damp, spongy terrain, as in geography or nature writing.
- 泥沼どろぬまnounLiterally a mire of mud; as well as literal boggy ground, it is often used figuratively of a quagmire — a situation one sinks into and cannot get out of.
- 沼沢しょうたくnounA general term for marshy country, its characters meaning 'marsh' and 'swamp'; it covers bogs as one variety of such wet ground and is useful for speaking of the terrain in general.
- 沼ぬまnounA marsh or swamp thought of as a body of shallow, still water rather than simply wet ground; use it when 'bog' names a swampy pool or piece of marshland you could point to.
For bog as wet, spongy ground or wetland use 湿地; for a muddy mire, literal or figurative, use 泥沼; 沼 covers an actual swampy pool or marsh, while 沼沢 is a general term for marshy terrain.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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