How to say "conduit" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 導管どうかんnounThe general word for a pipe or duct that conducts a liquid or gas; closest to 'conduit' in its plain 'conveying tube' sense, though it is relatively uncommon in everyday use.
- 配水管はいすいかんnounA conduit in the waterworks sense: a pipe that carries or distributes water, such as a municipal supply line. Not the word for conduits of gas, cables, or other non-water contents.
- 暗渠あんきょnounAn underground water channel: a stream or drain that has been covered over or buried, such as a stream put beneath a street. The natural choice for culverts and culverted urban waterways.
- 筧かけひnounAn open water pipe or channel, typically of bamboo, carrying water above ground, as in a garden or field irrigation. For general or modern conduits it is not the word you want.
- 暗溝あんこうnounA covered or underground drain — essentially a buried ditch or culvert. It overlaps with 暗渠 and, like it, is only a marginal match for 'conduit' in the general pipe sense.
Use 導管 for a general pipe or duct that conducts fluid, 配水管 for water-supply pipes, 暗渠 or 暗溝 for buried drains and culverted streams, and 筧 for open, garden-style water channels.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
