How to say "warning" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 警告けいこくnoun, suru verb, transitive verbThe general word for warning someone: telling a person not to do something, or cautioning them about danger or wrongdoing. Fits most senses of 'warning' addressed to a person.
- 警報けいほうnounA warning of danger issued officially or by an alarm system—storm and earthquake warnings, air-raid alarms—and the alarm signal itself. Not the word for cautioning a person about their behavior.
- 予告よこくnoun, suru verb, transitive verbMainly 'advance notice': announcing beforehand that something will happen, as in a film trailer or advance notice of an event. As 'warning' it covers only this advance-notice sense, not cautioning someone.
- nounThe loanword for 'alert': a notification that something needs attention, typical of system, security, and similar alerts. For a warning spoken to a person, 警告 is the usual choice.
- 忠告ちゅうこくnoun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbAdvice given to a person for their own good, often amounting to a warning: urging someone to change course before they come to harm. Warmer and more personal than 警告.
Use 警告 for warning or cautioning someone generally, 警報 for official danger warnings and alarms, 「アラート」 for system and security alerts, 忠告 for personal advice that serves as a warning, and 予告 only for advance notice.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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