How to say "temporary" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 仮かりno-adjective, prefixCovers 'temporary' in the makeshift, stopgap sense: something set up for the time being and understood to be replaced by a permanent arrangement. Typical contexts include interim lodging, a stand-in name, or a tentative plan.
- 臨時りんじno-adjectiveCovers 'temporary' for something arranged on a special or extraordinary occasion, outside the regular schedule — an ad hoc addition rather than a makeshift stopgap. Typical contexts: extra services, special closures, one-off payments.
- 暫定ざんていno-adjectiveCovers 'provisional' more than plain 'temporary': a measure, decision, or figure adopted for the time being pending a final one, typical of official and administrative settings. Think of provisional rules or an interim agreement.
- nounThe straight loanword meaning simply 'temporary'. It belongs mostly to business, computing, and design jargon, often where the English word itself would appear; in ordinary prose it is seldom the word you want.
- 一時的いちじてきna-adjectiveThe general adjective for 'temporary' in the sense of not permanent — transitory, short-lived. Use it for states, conditions, or effects that pass with time; the natural choice when you simply mean 'not permanent'.
Use 一時的 for the general 'not permanent' sense, 仮 for makeshift stopgaps, 臨時 for special ad hoc occasions, 暫定 for provisional measures pending a final decision, and 「テンポラリー」 as the loanword in business or technical jargon.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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