How to say "delete" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- nounThe katakana loanword for 'delete'. Its typical context is computers and digital data, as when deleting a file, and it means simply to delete rather than to erase something physically.
- 消すけすgodan verb, transitive verbThe native verb: to erase or rub out writing and marks, to cross something out, and, by extension, to delete text or files. It covers physical erasing and also ordinary talk about deleting data.
Use 「デリート」, the loanword 'delete', typically for computers and digital data; use 「消す」 for erasing, rubbing out, or crossing out writing and marks, and for deleting files or text in ordinary use.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
