How to say "mould" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- nounMould in the biological sense: the fuzzy growth that appears on food, walls, or anything damp, covering mildew as well. It is never a mould for shaping material.
- 鋳型いがたnounA mould used in casting: the hollow form into which molten metal is poured. It can also mean a template, a pattern to copy.
- 形作るかたちづくるgodan verb, transitive verbThe verb 'to mould': to shape or form something, giving it its shape or character, of objects and abstract things alike. Use it whenever moulding is an action rather than a thing.
- 型枠かたわくnounFormwork or shuttering: the mould erected on a building site to hold wet concrete in shape until it sets. Outside construction this is not the word you want for 'mould'.
- 型かたnounThe general word for a mould as a shaping form, and by extension a model, pattern, or type, including figurative uses; when no casting or construction term fits, this is the word.
Take 「カビ」 for the fungus, 鋳型 for casting moulds, 型枠 for formwork, 型 for moulds and patterns in general, and 「形作る」 when 'mould' is a verb meaning to shape.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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