Translation guide
The English word "decompression" has several distinct meanings, from medical and technical contexts to figurative relaxation. This guide helps you choose the right Japanese expression for each situation.
Reducing pressure on the body, such as in decompression sickness or surgical decompression.
General term for decompression in medical and technical contexts. Used in phrases like 'decompression sickness'.
Decompression sickness is dangerous for divers.
Specifically refers to surgical decompression, e.g., for spinal stenosis.
He underwent decompression surgery for spinal stenosis.
Reducing pressure in a sealed environment, such as in diving, aviation, or industrial processes.
Restoring compressed data to its original form.
Literally 'thawing', this is the most common term for decompressing files, especially archives like ZIP.
Please decompress this file.
Means 'expand' or 'extract', often used in software menus. Slightly more formal than 解凍.
Technical term for decompression in signal processing or specific algorithms. Rare in everyday use.
Relieving mental stress or taking a break to unwind.
There is no direct Japanese equivalent for figurative 'decompression'. Instead, describe the action of relaxing or relieving stress.
After work, I need to decompress and relieve stress.
Loanword from English 'relax'. Very common and natural for unwinding.
I want to go home and decompress.
Do not use 減圧 (gen'atsu) to mean mental relaxation. It sounds like you are physically depressurizing your mind, which is unnatural and confusing.
解凍 (kaitō) is more common in everyday computer use, while 展開 (tenkai) appears in formal software interfaces. Both are understood, but 解凍 is the safer choice for spoken Japanese.
I received treatment in a decompression chamber.
圧縮ファイルを展開する。
Decompress the compressed file.
データ伸長アルゴリズム
data decompression algorithm
Literally 'change of mood', used for taking a break to refresh oneself. Close to 'decompress' in casual contexts.
A walk is a good way to decompress.