How to say "garbage" in Japanese

• ゴミJLPT N4approx.Common
  nounCovers ordinary garbage and trash — the refuse you throw away at home or in the street. This is the everyday word you want for 'take out the garbage.'
  彼女かのじょは玄関げんかんのごみをはいた。↗

  She swept the dirt from the porch.
• くずJLPT N2approx.Common
  nounMeans waste or scraps — leftover bits and dregs rather than refuse as such. For plain 'garbage' it is usually not the word you want; it really points to scraps or debris.
  ラップは屑くずだ。↗

  Rap is crap.
• 廃品はいひんCommon
  nounA written term for waste or discarded goods, heard in contexts like recycling or disposal of unwanted items. Rarely the word for everyday household garbage.
• 廃棄物はいきぶつCommon
  nounA formal, written word for waste matter or refuse, typical of regulations, industry, and official documents. Use it for 'waste' in technical contexts, not for kitchen trash.
  第だい二にが周辺しゅうへん環境かんきょうとの親和性しんわせいであり、最小さいしょうの廃棄物はいきぶつ、自然しぜんエネルギーの利用りよう等とう、周辺しゅうへんの生態せいたいと調和ちょうわした住空間じゅうくうかんを形成けいせいすることである。↗

  The second is the affinity with environment. By utilizing natural energy and reducing wastes, we have to make houses which harmonize with ecology.
• ガラクタCommon
  nounMeans junk — old, useless, broken-down stuff cluttering a place. For 'garbage' in the refuse sense it is not the word; it covers worthless junk and rubbish items.
  このガラクタは火ひに燃もやしなさい。↗

  Burn this rubbish on the fire.

Use 「ゴミ」 for everyday household trash, 「くず」 for scraps and leftover waste, 「ガラクタ」 for worthless junk, and the written compounds 廃品 and 廃棄物 for waste in formal, technical, or business contexts.

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

• ごみrubbish
• くずwaste
• 廃品はいひんwaste
• 廃棄物はいきぶつwaste matter
• がらくたjunk
• 汚物おぶつfilth (esp. excrement, feces, urine)
• ガベージgarbage
• 不要情報ふようじょうほうgarbage
• ごもくtrash
• 芥あくたrubbish
• ごみくずtrash
• 塵芥じんかいrubbish
• 屑物くずものtrash
• 瓦石がせきworthless thing
• 塵ちりtrash
• うんこcrap