How to say "content" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 内容ないようnounThe usual word for 'content' as what a text, speech, report, or communication contains or covers. It treats the material as information rather than physical objects, and contrasts with form.
- 実体じったいnounSeldom the word you want for 'content': it really means the substance, essence, or actual entity behind a name or appearance — whether something is real and substantial, rather than what it contains.An analysis of the nature of the heat island phenomenon and countermeasures.
- 中身なかみnounThe contents of a physical container — a box, bag, or envelope — and figuratively the substance of a talk, plan, or person as opposed to outward appearance; the concrete counterpart of 内容.
Use 内容 for the content of texts, media, or communications; 中身 for what is physically inside something or its substance versus appearance; 実体 is rarely the word for 'content', meaning rather the real entity or essence behind something.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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