Translation guide
The word 'Titanic' most commonly refers to the famous British passenger liner that sank in 1912. In Japanese, it is almost always referred to by its katakana name. This entry covers how to talk about the ship, the film, and related metaphorical uses.
Referring to the historical ocean liner
The standard katakana rendering of 'Titanic'. Used for both the ship and the film.
タイタニック号は1912年に沈没しました。
The Titanic sank in 1912.
Adding 号 (ごう) explicitly marks it as a ship name. Common in formal or historical contexts.
タイタニック号の悲劇は多くの映画の題材となった。
The tragedy of the Titanic became the subject of many films.
Referring to James Cameron's movie
The film is simply called タイタニック in Japanese. Context distinguishes it from the ship.
映画『タイタニック』は大ヒットしました。
The movie 'Titanic' was a huge hit.
Describing something of enormous size or scale
The most common adjective for 'huge' or 'gigantic'. Use this instead of trying to use 'Titanic' as an adjective.
そのプロジェクトは巨大な失敗だった。
The project was a titanic failure.
Means 'grand' or 'magnificent', often used for scale or ambition. Can convey the epic sense of 'titanic'.
彼は壮大な計画を立てた。
He devised a titanic plan.
English sometimes uses 'Titanic' as an adjective meaning 'of exceptional strength, size, or power'. Japanese does not use タイタニック this way. Use adjectives like 巨大な (きょだいな) or 壮大な (そうだいな) instead.
An emphatic, colloquial word meaning 'extraordinary' or 'immense'. Can be used for hyperbolic effect.
とてつもない努力が必要だ。
It requires a titanic effort.