Translation guide
The English word "basket" refers to a container, but its Japanese equivalents depend heavily on material, shape, and use. This guide covers common words for baskets, including loanwords and traditional terms.
A container used for carrying or storing items, typically made of woven material.
The most common and general word for a basket. Can refer to baskets made of bamboo, wire, plastic, etc.
買い物かごを持って店内を回る。
I walk around the store with a shopping basket.
I put clothes in the laundry basket.
Loanword from English, often used for specific types like picnic baskets or in sports contexts.
I prepare a picnic basket.
Kanji form of かご, often used in literary or formal contexts. Can also refer to traditional bamboo baskets.
I weave a bamboo basket.
Baskets designed for particular uses like shopping, laundry, or waste.
Shopping basket, commonly used in supermarkets.
Shopping baskets are stacked near the register.
Wastebasket or trash can. Note: 箱 means box, but this is the standard term for a small indoor trash container.
Laundry basket or hamper.
Basketball hoop (literally "basket goal").
There is a basketball hoop in the park.
Baskets used in traditional contexts, often made of bamboo or wicker.
Bamboo basket, commonly used for storage or decoration.
I arrange fruit in a bamboo basket.
A shallow, sieve-like basket used for draining or serving food. Often made of bamboo.
A traditional wicker trunk or basket used for storage or travel. Now mostly historical.
かご is the native Japanese word and is more common for everyday baskets. バスケット is a loanword often used in compound words (e.g., バスケットボール) or for Western-style baskets like picnic baskets. In general, かご is safer for most contexts.
While "basket" can mean wastebasket in English, バスケット is not used for trash cans. Use ゴミ箱 instead.
部屋の隅にゴミ箱を置く。
I put a wastebasket in the corner of the room.
The laundry basket is full.
I wash vegetables in a bamboo basket.
An old kimono came out of my grandmother's wicker trunk.