How to say "story" in Japanese

• ストーリーCommon
  nounThe loanword for 'story': a tale or narrative of events — the story a film or drama tells, for instance — and it can also mean a legend.
  今回こんかい発売はつばいされたアルバムは、ストーリー仕立したてになっていて力作りきさくだ。↗

  Her latest album is a tour de force. It even has a storyline.
• 物語ものがたりJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounThe native word for a story or tale: a narrative in its own right — a tale told or written as a work, such as a legend or fairy tale.
  これは、ある猫ねこについての物語ものがたりです。↗

  This is a story about a cat.
• 階かいJLPT N1approx.Common
  noun, noun (suffix)This is the 'story' that means a storey: a floor or level of a building, with nothing to do with narratives. Use it when saying which floor of a building something is on.
  それはもう一ひとつ下もとの階かいですよ。↗

  That's one level down.
• 小説しょうせつJLPT N4approx.Common
  nounThe word for 'story' as a work of fiction — a novel or other fictional work. Use it when the story is a work of written fiction, not just any tale or plot.
  事実じじつは小説しょうせつよりも奇きなり。↗

  Fact is stranger than fiction.
• 講談こうだんCommon
  nounReally the name of a performed storytelling genre — war chronicles and revenge tales told with highly dramatic delivery. As a plain word for 'story' it is seldom what you want.

「ストーリー」 and 物語 both render 'story' as a tale or narrative; 小説 is a story as a work of fiction; 階 is a storey of a building; and 講談 is dramatic performed storytelling, seldom a plain 'story'.

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

• ストーリーstory
• 物語ものがたりstory
• 階かいstorey
• 小説しょうせつnovel
• 講談こうだんstorytelling (of war chronicles, revenge tales, etc.) with highly dramatic delivery
• 逸話いつわanecdote
• 語り草かたりぐさstory
• お話おはなしstory
• 曰くいわくpretext
• 譚たんstory
• 談だんtalk
• 語り句かたりくstory
• ナラティブnarrative
• 一篇いっぺんpiece (e.g. poetry)
• ストーリー性ストーリーせい(sense of) story
• 話はなしtale
• フロアfloor (of a building)