How to say "shed" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 小屋こやnounA small simple building: use this for a shed in the sense of a hut-like structure in the garden or yard; it also covers 'hut', 'cabin' and an animal pen, so context decides.
- godan verb, transitive verbUse this when 'shed' means shedding tears; the verb's core senses are to spill and to drop, and tears are the 'shed' sense it covers.
- 納屋なやnounA shed or outbuilding used for storage, such as on a farm or beside a house; it also means 'barn', so reach for it when storing things is the point.
- 降らすふらすgodan verb, transitive verbReally means to send rain down or make it fall; its 'shed' gloss is marginal, so unless you mean making something fall like rain, this is seldom the word you want for 'shed'.
- 落とすおとすgodan verb, transitive verbCovers 'shed light' — letting light fall on something — but its main senses are to drop, lose or let fall an object; for other 'shed' senses look elsewhere.彼は花瓶を落とした。↗He dropped a vase.
For a shed as a building pick 小屋 or, for storage, 納屋; shed tears with 「こぼす」 and shed light with 「落とす」; 「降らす」 means sending rain and is rarely the right choice.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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