How to say "prelude" in Japanese

• プレリュードCommon
  nounCovers the musical sense: a short introductory piece, especially as the loanword for Chopin-style preludes. Typical in concert programmes and casual talk about classical music.
• 前奏曲ぜんそうきょくCommon
  nounAlso the musical sense: an introductory piece played before the main work. The native (kanji) term, so it suits formal writing and explanations of music theory or performance.
  彼かれらは前奏曲ぜんそうきょくを聞き漏ききもらさないように早はやく来きた。↗

  They came early so they wouldn't miss the prelude.
• 序曲じょきょくCommon
  nounPrimarily means overture, an orchestral introduction opening an opera or concert; 'prelude' appears only as a secondary gloss, so reach for it when overture is the real meaning.
• 前哨戦ぜんしょうせんCommon
  nounNot a musical term at all: it means a preliminary encounter or warm-up match before a main contest, and figuratively an event that presages a bigger confrontation. Use it only for the figurative 'prelude to' sense.

Use 「プレリュード」 or 前奏曲 for a musical prelude (the former is the loanword, the latter the native term), 序曲 when the piece is really an overture, and 前哨戦 only figuratively for a preliminary contest or encounter.

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

• プレリュードprelude
• 前奏曲ぜんそうきょくprelude
• 序曲じょきょくoverture
• 前奏ぜんそうprelude
• 前哨戦ぜんしょうせんprelude