How to say "merger" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 合併がっぺいnoun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbThe default for 'merger' in the business or administrative sense: companies merging, or towns and municipalities combining. When you say two firms merged, this is the word you want.
- 併合へいごうnoun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbA merger in the sense of joining into one or amalgamation. It is a formal word for things being united, but for company mergers 合併 is usually the word you want.
- 混同こんどうnoun, suru verb, transitive verbHere 'merger' is marginal: 混同 really means confusion or mixing things up, especially mistaking one thing for another. It is seldom the word you want for a business or organizational merger.
- 大同団結だいどうだんけつnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbA four-character idiom glossed as merger or presenting a united front. It refers to formerly divided groups uniting on a grand scale, and is figurative rather than a term for corporate transactions.
- 合体がったいnoun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbCovers union, combination, coalescence or amalgamation — things physically or structurally combining into one. For company mergers 合併 is more idiomatic; 合体 suits combining bodies or machines.
Use 合併 for the corporate or municipal sense; 併合 for joining into one; 合体 for physical combination; 混同 means confusion or mixing-up; 大同団結 is a yojijukugo for a united front.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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