How to say "playground" in Japanese

Choosing the right word

グラウンドCommon
nounUsually means a sports ground, playing field, or stadium rather than a children's play area. It fits contexts like school athletic fields, so it is often not the word you want for a kids' playground.
雨あめがひどく降ふったのでグラウンドはぐしゃぐしゃだ。↗
It rained heavily, so the playground is muddy.
遊び場あそびばCommon
nounThe natural choice for a place where children play — swings, slides, sandboxes. Use this when you mean a playground in the everyday sense of a kids' play space, whether at a park or elsewhere.
子こどもと遊び場あそびばの関係かんけいは葉はと森林しんりんの関係かんけいと同おなじである。↗
Children are to the playground what leaves are to the forest.
運動場うんどうじょうCommon
nounA sports ground or playing field, especially a schoolyard used for exercise and sports; glosses also list 'playground'. For a children's play area, 遊び場 is the better word.
ケイトは今いま運動場うんどうじょうで走はしっている。↗
Kate is running in the field now.

Use 「遊び場」 for a children's play area; 「グラウンド」 and 運動場 both cover school or sports grounds, with 運動場 the more formal schoolyard term.

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

Japanese equivalents

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