How to say "germ" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- ばい菌ばいきんnounEveryday word for germs that make you sick — dirty hands, wounds, food. It carries a nuance of uncleanliness and is what you say about washing hands to kill germs.
- 細菌さいきんnounThe scientific or neutral term for bacteria as microorganisms, as in medicine or biology. Use it when germ means an actual bacterium discussed clinically rather than casually.
- nounLoanword covering bacteria in technical or semi-technical talk. It also fits germ in that scientific sense, though it points to bacteria specifically, not to vague illness-causing germs.
- 萌芽ほうがnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbNot a word for disease germs at all; it means sprouting or germination, and figuratively the germ or first sign of an idea or development. Only choose it for that abstract sense.
- 微生物びせいぶつnounCovers microorganisms broadly — microbes, germs as tiny living things. Suitable when germ means microscopic life in general, such as in discussions of soil, water, or fermentation, rather than illness.
For disease-causing germs choose 「ばい菌」; for scientific bacteria use 細菌 or 「バクテリア」; 微生物 covers microbes generally; 萌芽 only fits the figurative 'germ' meaning an early beginning.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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