Translation guide
The game of billiards, including pool, snooker, and carom billiards. In Japanese, the general term is ビリヤード, with specific types distinguished by loanwords or descriptions.
billiards (general)
Referring to the overall category of cue sports played on a table with balls and a cue stick.
The most common and general term for billiards. Covers pool, snooker, and carom games. Used in everyday conversation.
I played billiards with friends on the weekend.
You're good at billiards.
Traditional Japanese term for billiards, literally 'ball hitting'. Less common today but still understood. Can sound old-fashioned.
In the old days, there were billiard halls in town.
Specifically the type of billiards with pockets, like 8-ball or 9-ball.
Direct loanword for pocket billiards. Used when distinguishing from carom billiards.
Please teach me the rules of pocket billiards.
Loanword for 'pool'. Common among younger people and in casual contexts. May be confused with swimming pool, so context is important.
Can mean swimming pool. Use ビリヤード or ポケットビリヤード to avoid confusion.
Billiards played on a table without pockets, such as three-cushion billiards.
Standard term for carom billiards. Used in official contexts and by enthusiasts.
Carom billiards has no pockets.
Specifically three-cushion billiards, a popular carom game. Used among players.
I watched a three-cushion billiards match.
The specific game of snooker, played on a large table with 22 balls.
Direct loanword for snooker. Well understood among billiards fans.
Snooker is popular in the UK.
If you want to be clear about which game you mean, use the specific loanwords: ポケットビリヤード (pool), キャロムビリヤード (carom), スヌーカー (snooker). In casual conversation, ビリヤード is usually enough.
Which billiards do you like? Pool? Carom?
The word プール primarily means 'swimming pool'. While it can mean 'pool (billiards)' in context, it's safer to use ビリヤード or ポケットビリヤード to avoid misunderstandings.
Let's go to the pool. (likely swimming, not billiards)
Do you play billiards?
There's a billiard hall near the station.
今夜プールをしない？
Wanna shoot some pool tonight?