Translation guide
The English word "degradation" covers a range of meanings from physical breakdown to loss of quality, humiliation, and moral decline. This guide helps you choose the right Japanese expression for each nuance.
To describe the process of something breaking down, deteriorating, or decomposing over time, often due to natural or chemical processes.
General term for deterioration or degradation of quality, condition, or performance. Used for materials, products, and abstract things like relationships.
Plastic degrades from ultraviolet rays.
Breakdown or decomposition, often into simpler components. Used in chemistry, biology, and environmental contexts.
This substance degrades naturally.
Corrosion or erosion, specifically for metals or rocks being worn away chemically.
The metal was degraded by acid.
Weathering, the breakdown of rocks or minerals due to exposure to the atmosphere. Also used metaphorically for fading memories or traditions.
The rock degraded into sand through weathering.
To express that something has become worse in quality, performance, or status, often gradually.
Decline or drop in level, quality, or ability. Commonly used with 品質 (quality), 性能 (performance), 生活水準 (living standards).
The quality of service is degrading.
Worsening or aggravation, often for situations, health, or conditions. Implies a negative change.
Explicit phrase for 'degradation of quality'. Useful when you want to be clear about what is degrading.
This product shows significant degradation in quality.
To describe the act of making someone feel ashamed, worthless, or less respected, or the state of being degraded in status.
Humiliation, mortification. Strong emotional word for feeling deeply shamed or degraded.
He suffered degradation in public.
Insult, affront. The act of degrading someone through words or actions, often implying disrespect.
To lower one's dignity or degrade oneself. Often used reflexively.
Such behavior degrades your own dignity.
Demotion, downgrading in rank or status. Used in organizational contexts.
To refer to a perceived lowering of moral standards, cultural values, or societal norms.
Decadence, degeneration, moral decay. Often used for cultural or societal degradation.
That era saw the degradation of morality.
Corruption, depravity, fall from grace. Implies a personal or societal moral decline.
Can also be used for decline in moral standards, e.g., モラルの低下 (decline in morals).
Specifically for the breakdown of organic matter or the deterioration of ecosystems.
Decomposition of organic material by bacteria or fungi.
Fallen leaves are degraded by microorganisms.
Can be used for ecological degradation, e.g., 生態系の劣化 (ecosystem degradation).
Devastation, desolation, often for land or environment becoming barren or ruined.
劣化 (rekka) implies a loss of inherent quality or physical deterioration. 低下 (teika) is a drop in level or standard, often measurable. 悪化 (akka) means worsening, especially of situations or conditions. For 'degradation of quality', 劣化 and 質の低下 are most direct; for 'degradation of performance', 性能低下 is common.
When 'degradation' means humiliation, do not use 劣化 or 低下. Use 屈辱 (kutsujoku) or 侮辱 (bujoku). Saying 彼は劣化された is incorrect and unnatural.
Environmental degradation is progressing.
That is a degradation of him.
彼は格下げされた。
He was degraded (in rank).
Power degraded him morally.
The degradation of morals among youth is a problem.
Ecosystem degradation is a concern.
森林の荒廃が進んでいる。
Forest degradation is advancing.