How to say "quotation" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 引用いんようsuru verb, transitive verb, no-adjectiveThe general word for quoting someone's words or a passage from a text, and for citation generally; when you just mean "quotation", this is the word.ハムレットから１行引用できますか。↗Can you quote a line of Hamlet?
- 援用えんようnoun, suru verb, transitive verbQuoting or citing something to support one's argument, such as invoking a precedent; it also covers "invocation" and "claim", so the emphasis is on the invoking rather than the words quoted.
- 抄録しょうろくnoun, suru verb, transitive verbThe word for an abstract or summary — a selected, condensed excerpt of a text. Its "quotation" sense is that of an extract, so it is seldom what you want for quoting someone's words.
- 見積もりみつもりnounHere "quotation" is the commercial sense: a statement of the estimated price for goods or work — an estimate or valuation. Never use it for quoting words or passages.
Use 引用 for quoting words or passages, 援用 for citing something to support an argument, 抄録 for abstracts or extracts rather than quoting, and 「見積もり」 only for a price quotation.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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