How to say "gutter" in Japanese

• 溝みぞCommon
  nounThe general word for a long, narrow channel carrying water — a ditch, drain or gutter; use it when you simply mean a channel of this kind.
  彼かれはその浅あさい溝みぞを飛び越とびこえた。↗

  He leaped over the shallow ditch.
• どぶCommon
  nounAn open drainage ditch running along the side of a street, typically holding dirty or stagnant water; for this roadside sense of 'gutter' it is the natural word, and it is usually written in kana.
• 下水げすいJLPT N2approx.Common
  nounChiefly drainage or sewerage — dirty water and the systems that carry it away; it is only marginally a match for 'gutter' and is seldom the word you want for an actual channel.
  下水げすいが完全かんぜんに詰つまっている。↗

  The drains are blocked up.
• 側溝そっこうCommon
  nounA gutter or ditch running along the side of a road to carry off water; this is the specific term for the roadside drainage channel, used in road construction and civil engineering.
• 樋といCommon
  nounThe gutter fixed along the eaves of a roof to catch rainwater, or the pipe or channel guiding the water down; use this for 'gutter' in the rainwater sense on a building.

Use 溝 for a water channel or ditch in general, 「どぶ」 for a dirty open roadside drain, 側溝 for a road gutter in construction contexts, 樋 for a roof rain gutter, and 下水 only for drainage or sewerage.

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

• 溝みぞditch
• どぶditch
• 下水げすいdrainage
• 側溝そっこうgutter
• 樋といtrough
• 排水溝はいすいこうdrainage
• ガターgutter
• 雨承けあまうけgutter (on the eaves of a roof)
• 綴じ代とじしろbinding margin
• のどgutter (inner margins of a book)