How to say "bug" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- nounCovers the literal insect sense of 'bug', including crickets and moths. This is the everyday spoken word for any small creepy-crawly, so it is the natural choice when talking about bugs in the garden or the house.
- 昆虫こんちゅうno-adjectiveAlso the literal insect sense of 'bug', but it is the more formal or technical word, typical of textbooks, science writing and museum contexts rather than casual conversation about a bug on the wall.
- 盗聴とうちょうsuru verb, transitive verb, no-adjectiveRefers to the act of secretly intercepting communications, as in a phone or email wiretap or a bug being planted. Use it for the surveillance activity itself rather than for the physical device.
- 盗聴器とうちょうきnounRefers to the hidden listening device itself — the physical 'bug' planted in a room or on a phone line. Choose this when talking about finding or installing such a device.
- 誤りあやまりnounPrimarily means an error or mistake, and only by extension a bug, as in software. For a program bug it is a reasonable choice, but for insects or listening devices it is not the word you want.
Use 「むし」 or 昆虫 for literal insects, 盗聴 or 盗聴器 for covert listening devices, and 「誤り」 mainly for errors, where it can also cover a software bug.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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