How to say "machine" in Japanese

• 機械きかいJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounThe general word for a machine as a physical device, and the only one of the three that also covers 'mechanism'; choose it for most everyday and technical references to machines.
  僕ぼくは今日きょうこの機械きかいを試験しけんするつもりです。↗

  I am going to put this machine to the test today.
• マシンCommon
  nounThe katakana loanword; it overlaps with 機械 but turns up mainly in specific borrowed contexts such as exercise equipment, computers or racing vehicles, and is not the default term for machines in general.
  部長ぶちょうが、すごいハイスペック・マシン買かったそうよ。↗

  The supervisor bought a really fast machine.
• 機きCommon
  noun, noun (suffix)Glossed 'machine', but seldom the word you want on its own: it functions mainly as an element inside larger words, not as an independent noun, so use 機械 for a machine.
  セールスマンはひき肉にく機きの使い方つかいかたを操作そうさして説明せつめいした。↗

  The salesman demonstrated how to use the mincer.

Use 機械 as the default word for a machine or mechanism; 「マシン」 is the katakana loanword, heard mainly in specific borrowed contexts such as exercise equipment or computers; 機 is seldom used alone to mean a machine.

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

• 機械きかいmachine
• マシンmachine
• 削り出すけずりだすto machine
• 機械装置きかいそうちmachine
• 機きmachine