How to say "stool" in Japanese

Choosing the right word
  • 椅子いすJLPT N5approx.Common
    nounPrimarily the word for a chair; as 'stool' it covers a seat you sit on, such as a backless seat at a counter. It is not the word for a stool you stand on.
    ちょっと椅子いすをずらしてくれない?↗
    Could you move the chair a bit?
  • 踏み台ふみだいCommon
    nounA stool you stand on to reach high objects, and also a small stepladder. When English 'stool' means something you climb on rather than sit on, this is the word to use.
    この踏台ふみだいを使つかえばクローゼットの上うえに手てが届とどくよ。↗
    If you stand on this stool, you can reach the top of the closet.
  • 大便だいべんJLPT N1approx.Common
    nounCovers 'stool' only in the sense of feces or excrement, as in a medical context. It never refers to furniture, so avoid it when talking about seats.

For a stool you sit on use 椅子, for one you stand on to reach high places use 「踏み台」, and for stool meaning excrement use 大便.

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

Japanese equivalents
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JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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