How to say "knight" in Japanese

• ナイトCommon
  nounThe common loanword for 'knight', covering the medieval warrior and the chess piece; this is the word you want in most contexts.
  僕ぼくは首くびをひねる。このポーンではなくて、こっちのナイトを・・・。↗

  I tilt my head. Not the pawn, but the knight?
• けいま
  nounIt is the name of the knight piece in shogi; outside that game it is seldom the word you want, since ナイト is the common word for knights in general.
• 桂けい
  nounAn abbreviation of the shogi knight piece's name; it refers to that piece, not to knights in general.
• 騎馬武者きばむしゃ
  nounIt means a mounted warrior first and foremost; use it for a warrior on horseback, as in historical description, not as a general word for 'knight'.

Use 「ナイト」 for knights in general, whether the medieval warrior or the chess piece; 「けいま」 and 桂 are the shogi knight piece and its abbreviation, and 騎馬武者 really means a mounted warrior.

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

• ナイトknight
• けいまknight
• 桂けいknight
• 騎馬武者きばむしゃmounted warrior
• 騎士きし(medieval) knight
• 馬うまknight (court card in mekuri karuta and unsun karuta)