Translation guide
How to express 'cutting down' in Japanese, covering reducing amounts, felling trees, and downsizing.
To decrease consumption, spending, or how often you do something.
To cut down a tree or plant.
To cut down the size, scale, or number of something like a company or project.
To reduce in scale, shrink, or downsize. Used for businesses, events, etc.
事業を縮小することにしました。
We decided to cut down the business.
減らす is a general reduction; 控える implies voluntary restraint, often for health or manners. Use 控える when you are holding back from something you want.
お酒を減らす（量を少なくする）
Reduce alcohol (decrease the amount)
お酒を控える（飲むのをやめる／回数を減らす）
Cut down on alcohol (refrain from drinking / reduce frequency)
Do not use 切る (kiru) alone for 'cutting down' on habits or expenses; it means physically cutting. Use the verbs above instead.
I'm cutting down on alcohol.
砂糖の量を減らしたほうがいいですよ。
You should cut down on sugar.
To refrain from or cut back on something, often for health or discipline. Implies self-restraint.
甘いものは控えています。
I'm cutting down on sweets.
医者にタバコを控えるように言われました。
The doctor told me to cut down on smoking.
To economize or cut down on expenses. Often used for saving money or resources.
電気代を節約するために、エアコンを切っています。
To cut down on electricity bills, I'm turning off the AC.
Formal term for cutting down, often used in business or policy contexts (e.g., budget cuts, emission reductions).
会社は経費を削減する計画です。
The company plans to cut down on expenses.
To cut down and fell a tree. Transitive.
その木を切り倒さなければなりません。
We have to cut down that tree.
To fell trees, often for forestry or lumber. More technical.
森林の木を伐採する。
To cut down trees in a forest.
Also used for cutting down numbers, like staff or budget.
人員を削減する。
To cut down on staff.