How to say "electron" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 電子でんしnounThe usual word for the electron, the negatively charged subatomic particle; this is what you want in physics, chemistry, and general scientific writing.
- nounThe katakana loanword for 'electron'. Being less common than 電子, it is seldom the word you want for the particle in ordinary scientific writing.
- 陰電子いんでんしnounLiterally 'negative electron', a narrowly technical term that spells out the particle's negative charge; for the electron itself it is seldom the word you want — use 電子 instead.
Choose 電子 for the electron in essentially any context; 「エレクトロン」 is the less common katakana loanword, and 陰電子 is a narrowly technical term that spells out the particle's negative charge.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
