How to say "trench" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 壕ごうnounThe large, deep trench of military or fortification use — a defensive excavation or a moat; think of soldiers sheltering in a long trench dug across a battlefield, not of a small drainage channel.
- 溝みぞnounThe general word for a long narrow channel dug in the ground, typically to carry off water or to lay a pipe; it covers the ditch side of 'trench' in ordinary drainage contexts.
- nounThe open gutter or drain running along a street, often carrying dirty water, and usually written in kana; for 'trench' it is marginal — seldom the word you want unless you mean such a drainage ditch.
Use 壕 for large military or fortification trenches and moats, 溝 for narrow channels dug in the ground for drainage or pipes, and 「どぶ」 only for the open roadside gutter, not for trenches proper.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
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