How to say "encyclopedia" in Japanese

• 事典じてんCommon
  nounAn encyclopedia as a reference work that explains facts, things and concepts rather than words. Often seen in the titles of such works, and natural on its own when talking about consulting one.
  その事典じてんは約やく５０万ごれいまん語ごの単語たんごを収おさめている。↗

  The dictionary contains about half a million words.
• 百科事典ひゃっかじてんJLPT N2approx.Common
  nounThe full name for an encyclopedia: a comprehensive reference work covering all fields of knowledge. This is the word to reach for when you simply mean 'encyclopedia'.
  この百科事典ひゃっかじてんは、妻つまのものです。↗

  This encyclopedia belongs to my wife.
• 百科全書ひゃっかぜんしょCommon
  nounA fuller synonym for 百科事典, literally 'a complete book of all the fields of knowledge'. It is also the established Japanese title of the French Encyclopédie.
• 百科ひゃっかCommon
  nounThe abbreviated form of 百科事典. Standing alone it is understood but seldom the word you want; write the full 百科事典 when you mean 'encyclopedia' in a sentence.

Start with 百科事典 when you mean a general encyclopedia; 事典 is the shorter generic term for fact-based reference works, 百科全書 a fuller variant, and 百科 an abbreviation best written out in full.

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

• 事典じてんencyclopedia
• 百科事典ひゃっかじてんencyclopedia
• 百科全書ひゃっかぜんしょencyclopedia
• エンサイクロペディアencyclopedia
• 大鑑たいかんencyclopedia
• 百科辞書ひゃっかじしょencyclopedia
• 宝鑑ほうかんhandbook
• 百科ひゃっかencyclopedia