How to say "perpendicular" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 鉛直えんちょくna-adjective, no-adjectivePoints to the strict vertical: the upright direction gravity defines, as a plumb line shows. Less common than 垂直, it fits describing something hanging or standing exactly upright rather than lines meeting at right angles.
- 垂直すいちょくna-adjective, no-adjectiveThe common word for perpendicular: lines or surfaces meeting at right angles. When English 'perpendicular' means simply 'at right angles' — the usual geometric sense — this is the word to reach for.
Use 垂直, the common word, for lines or surfaces meeting at right angles; 鉛直, less common, covers the strict vertical — the upright direction gravity defines — so reach for it when that physical sense matters.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
