Translation guide
How to express 'American' in Japanese, covering nationality, people, things, and cultural references.
He is American.
American car
Referring to an American person or people.
Standard term for an American person. Use for nationality or ethnicity.
He is American.
Formal or written term for an American person. Often used in news or official contexts.
Loanword used in compound terms or casual contexts, but not for referring to a person directly.
Not used alone to mean 'an American person'. Use アメリカ人 instead.
Describing something as American in origin or style.
Most common way to say 'American' as an adjective. Attach to a noun.
This is an American car.
Referring to the country itself.
Most common name for the United States in everyday speech.
Referring to the variety of English spoken in the US.
Standard term for American English.
アメリカ is the everyday word for the US, while 米国 is formal and often used in writing or news. 米国 is also used in compounds like 米国政府 (US government).
I live in America.
I have an American friend.
The number of American tourists is increasing.
an American-style shop
アメリカの文化に興味があります。
I'm interested in American culture.
Formal or written adjective for 'American', often used in news or official documents.
the American president
Used in compound nouns or set phrases, often for style or atmosphere.
American coffee
Have you ever been to America?
Formal or written name for the United States. Common in news.
the US government
He speaks American English.
Abbreviation for American English, used in linguistic contexts.
differences between American and British English
President of the United States
The word アメリカン is mainly used in compound nouns (e.g., アメリカンコーヒー) and cannot stand alone to mean 'an American person'. Use アメリカ人 instead.