How to say "channel" in Japanese

• チャネルJLPT N1approx.Common
  nounThe loanword, used for channels in broadcasting, communication, and technical or business contexts; for channels of water it is not the word you want.
  一番いちばんのチャンネルで英語えいごが、７番ばんのチャンネルでは日本語にほんごがお聞ききになれます。↗

  You can hear English on Channel 1, and Japanese on Channel 7.
• 海峡かいきょうJLPT N1approx.Common
  nounThe geographic sense: a channel or strait of sea between two land masses, such as a narrow passage separating an island from the mainland.
  アメリカンインディアンの祖先そせんは、ベーリング海峡かいきょうを経由けいゆしてアジアから米べい大陸たいりくへ渡わたった。↗

  The ancestors of Native Americans went to the continent from Asia by way of the Bering Strait.
• 水路すいろCommon
  nounA waterway, canal, or watercourse: the literal sense of a channel that carries water, natural or artificial.
  船ふねは水路すいろを下くだった。↗

  The ship sailed down the channel.
• 瀬戸せとCommon
  nounA strait or channel, but chiefly encountered in place names; for a general 'channel' it is seldom the word you want — it is really a strait word.
  名古屋なごやと言いえば、あなたは瀬戸せとへ行いったことはありますか。↗

  Speaking of Nagoya, have you ever been to Seto?
• 経路けいろJLPT N1approx.Common
  nounA route, course, or path: the channel by which something travels or is conveyed, about how something passes from one point to another rather than a waterway.
  彼かれは１人ひとりで飛とぶことに慣なれていた。そして彼かれは想像そうぞうの中なかで何度なんどもこの経路けいろを飛とんでいたのだ。↗

  He was accustomed to flying alone, and he had flown this route in his imagination many times.

Use 「チャネル」 for broadcast, communication, or technical channels; 海峡 for a sea channel between land masses; 水路 for a waterway or canal; 経路 for a route or path; 瀬戸 is chiefly a place-name word.

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

• チャネルchannel
• 海峡かいきょうchannel (e.g. between two land masses)
• 水路すいろwaterway
• 瀬戸せとstrait
• 経路けいろcourse
• 流路りゅうろchannel
• 谷筋たにすじchannel (of a stream, valley, etc.)
• 溝形鋼みぞがたこうchannel (type of section steel)
• データ伝送路データでんそうろchannel
• 通信路つうしんろchannel
• 澪みおwaterway
• 仲介物ちゅうかいぶつintermediary
• 海門かいもんstrait
• 入手先にゅうしゅさきsource (of supply)
• ルートchannel (e.g. sales, distribution)
• 局きょくoffice (e.g. post, telephone)
• 水道すいどうchannel
• ＣＨシー・エイチchannel
• 筋すじsource (of information, etc.)
• パイプgo-between