How to say "plaster" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 塗るぬるgodan verb, transitive verbA verb: to paint, spread, or apply something onto a surface. The 'plaster' gloss is the action — plastering cream, lotion, or paint onto something — not the material used for walls.
- 石膏せっこうno-adjectiveThe material itself: gypsum, or plaster made from it, as used for sculpture, casts, and building work. It names the substance, not the act of spreading or applying.
- 漆喰しっくいnounPlaster or stucco as a wall coating: the material troweled onto walls, familiar from the white walls of traditional Japanese buildings. This is the builder's sense, not the medical one.
- nounA loanword for plaster. It can mean the wall-coating material or, in medical contexts, an adhesive patch, but being less common it is seldom the word you actually want.
- 膏薬こうやくnounA medicated patch stuck onto the skin — the 'plaster' or 'patch' applied to a wound or aching muscle. Nothing to do with walls or building materials.
Use 「塗る」 for the act of spreading or applying, 石膏 for gypsum or plaster as a material, 漆喰 for plaster or stucco on walls, 膏薬 for a medicated skin patch, and 「プラスター」 as a less common loanword.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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