Translation guide
A device or component that condenses a substance, or an electrical component that stores charge. In Japanese, the term depends heavily on the field: a heat-exchange condenser is コンデンサー or 復水器, while an electrical capacitor is コンデンサ or 蓄電器. The English word 'condenser' is broad; Japanese uses distinct terms for different contexts.
A device in which a gas or vapor is cooled and condensed into a liquid, e.g., in a distillation column, power plant, or refrigeration system.
The most common loanword for a condenser in engineering and industrial contexts. Widely understood in technical fields.
A large condenser is used in this equipment.
Specifically a condenser that turns steam back into water, often used in power plants (steam turbines). More formal and technical than コンデンサー.
Steam leaving the turbine is condensed back into water in the condenser.
A general term for a condenser (gas to liquid) in chemistry or physics. Less common in everyday engineering; often seen in textbooks.
A condenser is essential for a distillation apparatus.
A passive electronic component that stores electrical energy in an electric field. In English, historically called a 'condenser', but now 'capacitor' is standard. In Japanese, コンデンサ is the everyday term.
The standard term for a capacitor in electronics. Note the lack of the long vowel mark compared to the heat-exchange コンデンサー.
This circuit requires a 10μF capacitor.
An older or more formal term for a capacitor, literally 'electricity storage device'. Rarely used in modern electronics; may appear in older texts or patents.
A lens or system of lenses that collects and focuses light, e.g., in a microscope or projector.
The long vowel mark (ー) distinguishes the heat-exchange condenser (コンデンサー) from the electrical capacitor (コンデンサ). In speech, the difference is subtle, but in writing, using the wrong one can cause confusion in technical contexts.
The English word 'condenser' covers multiple distinct devices. In Japanese, you must choose the term based on the specific function. Using コンデンサー for a capacitor will sound odd to engineers.
昔はコンデンサのことを蓄電器と呼んでいた。
In the past, capacitors were called 'chikudenki'.
A native Japanese term for a condenser lens, literally 'light-gathering lens'. Used in optics and photography.
Use a condenser lens to focus light onto a single point.