Translation guide
The punctuation mark ' used for contractions, possessives, and certain plurals in English. In Japanese, the concept is expressed through grammar and context, not a direct equivalent mark.
apostrophe (symbol)
Referring to the apostrophe symbol itself in writing or typography.
The standard loanword for the apostrophe symbol. Used in technical or educational contexts.
In English, the apostrophe indicates the possessive case.
An alternative loanword, less common than アポストロフィー.
The apostrophe in this font is hard to see.
Literally 'single quotation mark'. Sometimes used to refer to the apostrophe shape, but more precisely means single quotes. Technical term.
Expressing possession or belonging, like 'John's book' or 'the cat's tail'.
The particle の is the standard way to show possession. A is the possessor, B is the possessed item. This covers most English possessive apostrophes.
Shortened forms like 'don't', 'it's', 'I'm'.
Japanese does not have contractions with apostrophes. Simply use the standard polite or plain form. The nuance of informality can be conveyed through speech style or sentence-ending particles.
don't go / won't go
Indicating missing letters, like 'ne'er' or 'o'er'. Rare in modern English.
Japanese does not use apostrophes for omitted sounds in writing. Translate the intended word fully. If the archaic/poetic tone is important, use classical Japanese or poetic diction.
never (poetic 'ne'er')
Forming plurals like 'mind your p's and q's' or 'the 1990's'.
Japanese does not have a direct equivalent. For letters, you can say 'Pの文字' (the letter P) and use context for plurality. For decades, simply say '1990年代'.
The word アポストロフィー only refers to the symbol itself. It is not used to form possessives or contractions in Japanese. Use の for possession and full verb forms for contractions.
In programming, single quotes are used for strings.
猫のしっぽ
the cat's tail
For some possessive-like relationships, a direct の construction may be unnatural. Instead, describe the relationship with a verb or adjective clause.
the car he bought yesterday (instead of 'his yesterday-bought car')
それは本です
it's a book
In very casual spoken Japanese, sounds may be dropped or merged, similar to English contractions. This is not written with an apostrophe but reflects the same informal feel.
I don't know (casual)
I'm doing (casual)
be careful with the letter P