How to say "eclipse" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 食しょくnounThe astronomical sense: the Sun or Moon hidden or darkened, and occultations, when one celestial body hides another. Alone it is less common, appearing chiefly in the set terms for solar and lunar eclipses.
- nounThe katakana borrowing of 'eclipse'. It is less common and seldom the word you want; the astronomical senses — solar and lunar eclipses, occultations — are expressed with 食.
Both words are less common: use 食 for the astronomical sense — solar or lunar eclipses and occultations, one body hiding another — while 「エクリプス」, the katakana loanword, is seldom the word you need.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
