Translation guide
The word 'cork' refers to the material, a bottle stopper, or the tree. This guide helps you choose the right Japanese word for each meaning.
The lightweight, buoyant material from the bark of the cork oak tree.
The most common word for cork as a material. Used for cork boards, cork flooring, cork fabric, etc.
このボードはコルクでできています。
This board is made of cork.
コルクの床は柔らかいです。
Cork flooring is soft.
Literally 'cork material'. Used in technical or industrial contexts.
コルク材は断熱性に優れています。
Cork material has excellent thermal insulation properties.
A stopper for a bottle, especially a wine bottle.
The standard word for a cork stopper. Can refer to both natural and synthetic corks.
ワインのコルクを抜いてください。
Please pull out the wine cork.
コルクがボロボロになってしまった。
The cork crumbled.
A generic word for stopper, plug, or bung. Can be used for corks, but also for other types of stoppers.
瓶の栓を開ける。
Open the bottle's stopper.
Specifically a cork stopper. Used when you need to distinguish from other types of stoppers.
The tree that produces cork, Quercus suber.
The Japanese name for the cork oak tree. Literally 'cork oak'.
コルクガシは地中海地方に自生しています。
Cork oaks grow naturally in the Mediterranean region.
A descriptive phrase meaning 'cork tree'. Easily understood but less precise than コルクガシ.
ポルトガルにはコルクの木がたくさんあります。
There are many cork trees in Portugal.
A small float used in fishing, traditionally made of cork.
General word for a fishing float or bobber. Not specifically cork, but often associated with it.
浮きが沈んだら魚がかかった合図です。
When the float sinks, it's a sign that a fish has bitten.
Specifically a cork float. Used when the material matters.
昔はコルク浮きが主流でした。
In the past, cork floats were the mainstream.
The word コルク comes from Dutch 'kurk' or Portuguese 'cortiça'. It is fully integrated into Japanese and is the most common way to refer to cork in most contexts.
このワインはコルク栓ではなくスクリューキャップです。
This wine has a screw cap, not a cork stopper.