How to say "countdown" in Japanese

• 秒読みびょうよみCommon
  nounCovers the countdown of the final seconds before something begins, as at a rocket launch or the start of a broadcast. This is the common word for that tense final count.
  ついに彼かれらは用心ようじんしながら秒読びょうよみを開始かいしした。↗

  At last, they began to count down cautiously.
• カウントダウン
  nounThe borrowed word for counting backward to an event, such as the arrival of the new year. It is less common than 秒読み, which is the common choice for a final-seconds count.

Both translate countdown: 「秒読み」, the common word, is for counting off the final seconds before something starts, while 「カウントダウン」, the less common loanword, is used for counting backward to an event such as the new year.

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

• 秒読みびょうよみcountdown
• カウントダウンcountdown