How to say "fork" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 分かれるわかれるichidan verb, intransitive verbThe verb: use this when something forks or branches — a road, a path, a river — or when opinions or a group diverge; it describes the splitting itself, not the utensil.
- nounThe eating utensil: knives-and-forks tableware. This is the word for the thing you eat with; it never refers to a branching road or a turning point.
- 分かれ目わかれめnounA noun for the point where things part ways: literally where a road or river splits, and often figuratively a decisive turning point — the moment a contest or a life forks.
- 分岐点ぶんきてんnounA noun for a fork or junction: the point where a road, route or line diverges. Typically a physical branching point, as in directions or route descriptions.
- 熊手くまでnounA garden tool: a rake, often bamboo, for gathering leaves. Its 'fork' sense refers to this pronged tool, so it is seldom the word you want for the utensil or a branching road.
Choose 「フォーク」 for the eating utensil, 「分かれる」 for the verb when a road or river forks, 「分かれ目」 or 分岐点 for the point where ways split, and 熊手 only for the garden tool.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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