How to say "curve" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- noun, suru verb, intransitive verbA curve or bend as a thing — the curve of a road, the path a ball takes. As a katakana loanword, this is the natural choice when you simply name a curve.
- 曲がるまがるgodan verb, intransitive verbA verb: for something bending, curving, or turning — a road that curves, a corner you turn, a thing that bends. Use this when the curving is an action or change, not a named shape.
- 曲線きょくせんnounA curved line: the noun for a curve as a drawn or measured shape, in graphs, geometry, and design. Choose this when you mean the line itself rather than a bend or turn.
- 湾曲わんきょくnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbA noun for curvature or a crooked bend — the bowed, bent state of a thing. Seldom the word you want for an ordinary curve; it really describes how something is bent or crooked.
- 反るそるgodan verb, intransitive verbA verb whose 'curve' sense is really warping or arching — a board warping out of shape, a back arching. For a plain curve of a road or line, this is not the word you want.
Use 「カーブ」 or 曲線 for a curve as a thing (a bend in a road, a curved line), 「曲がる」 for something bending or turning, and reserve 湾曲 and 「反る」 for curvature, warping, or arching.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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