How to say "branch" in Japanese

• 枝えだJLPT N4approx.Common
  nounThe physical branch of a tree or other plant. This is the word you want when talking about wood and leaves, as in a bird sitting on a branch or snow weighing down the branches.
  猫ねこは枝えだの間あいだに隠かくれた。↗

  The cat hid among the branches.
• 分かれるわかれるJLPT N2approx.Common
  ichidan verb, intransitive verbA verb meaning to branch, fork, or diverge — a road forking, a river splitting, or opinions dividing. Use this when 'branch' describes something splitting apart, not a thing itself.
  その問題もんだいで上院じょういん議員ぎいんの意見いけんが分わかれた。↗

  The issue divided the senators.
• 部門ぶもんJLPT N1approx.Common
  no-adjectiveA division, branch, or field within a larger organization or area of activity, such as a company's sales division or a field of study. Choose this for branches of business, knowledge, or endeavor.
  歴史学れきしがくは人文じんぶん科学かがくの一部いちぶ門もんである。↗

  History is a branch of the humanities.
• 支部しぶCommon
  no-adjectiveA branch of an organization: a branch office or local subdivision of a society, union, or political party. Use this when the branch is an officially constituted local unit of a larger body.
  あの支部しぶは炭鉱たんこう労働組合ろうどうくみあいに属ぞくしている。↗

  That branch is affiliated to the miners' union.
• ブランチCommon
  nounA loanword, but for English speakers a trap: in Japanese it usually refers to the meal brunch, not to a branch of a tree or organization. It is seldom the word you want for the 'branch' sense.

Use 枝 for a tree branch, 「分かれる」 for branching off or forking, 部門 for a field or division of activity, 支部 for an organizational branch office, and 「ブランチ」 mainly for the midday meal.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 枝えだbranch
• 分かれるわかれるto branch
• 部門ぶもんdivision (of a larger group)
• 支部しぶbranch
• ブランチbranch
• 分科ぶんかdepartment
• 分かれ道わかれみちbranch road
• 支所ししょbranch (office)
• 分院ぶんいんbranch (of an institution)
• 分会ぶんかいbranch
• 支流しりゅうtributary
• 分派ぶんぱfaction
• 分かれわかれoffshoot
• 分野ぶんやfield
• 出店でみせbranch (store)
• 分団ぶんだんbranch (of a larger organization)
• 傍流ぼうりゅうbranch (of a river)
• 語派ごはbranch (of a language family)
• 一朶いちだ(a) branch (of flowers)
• 分脈ぶんみゃくbranch
• 枝条しじょうbranch (of a tree)
• 樹枝じゅしbranch (of a tree)
• 枝木えだぎbranch (of a tree)
• 分枝ぶんしbifurcation
• 支脈しみゃくspur
• 分課ぶんかsubdivision
• 分置ぶんちdivision (of an organization)
• 派川はせんdistributary
• 二股ふたまたbifurcation