Translation guide
Crushed stone is a construction material made by mechanically breaking rocks into angular fragments. In Japanese, the most common term is 砕石 (さいせき), but other words exist for specific contexts like gravel or ballast.
The learner wants to refer to crushed stone as a bulk material used in construction, road building, or concrete.
The standard technical and everyday term for crushed stone. Used in construction, civil engineering, and manufacturing contexts.
Crushed stone is laid under this road.
We use crushed stone as aggregate for concrete.
Specifically refers to crushed stone used as a foundation or sub-base material, often for improving ground bearing capacity. Common in civil engineering.
We lay crushed stone on soft ground to improve the soil.
Loanword from English 'crusher run', referring to crushed stone that includes fine particles, used as a base course material. Technical term in road construction.
We use crusher run as a base course material.
The learner wants to refer to small crushed stones used for paths, gardens, or decoration, often called 'gravel' in English.
General term for gravel or small stones, including naturally rounded and crushed types. Commonly used for landscaping, paths, and drainage.
I spread gravel in the garden.
We plan to lay gravel in the parking lot.
Can also be used for decorative crushed stone, but 砂利 is more common for landscaping. 砕石 emphasizes the crushed/man-made nature.
Loanword from English 'ballast', used for gravel or crushed stone used in railway track beds or sometimes in construction. Less common in everyday landscaping.
The learner specifically means crushed stone used as an ingredient in concrete or asphalt.
Technical term for aggregate (both fine and coarse). In context, it often implies crushed stone when referring to coarse aggregate.
Concrete is made from cement, water, and aggregate.
We use crushed stone as coarse aggregate.
Directly refers to crushed stone, often used in the same context as aggregate.
砕石 (さいせき) specifically means mechanically crushed stone with angular edges. 砂利 (じゃり) is a broader term for gravel, which can be naturally rounded river gravel or crushed stone. In everyday landscaping, 砂利 is more common. In technical construction contexts, 砕石 is preferred.
Crushed stone is angular, while gravel is often rounded.
石 (いし) means 'stone' or 'rock' in general. It does not convey the crushed or processed nature. Using 石 to mean crushed stone will be misunderstood as a single rock or boulder.
✕ Lay stone on the road (ambiguous)
白い砕石を敷いて和風の庭を作りました。
We laid white crushed stone to create a Japanese-style garden.
Work is underway to replace the railway ballast.
この砕石はコンクリート用です。
This crushed stone is for concrete.
○ Lay crushed stone on the road