Translation guide
The English word 'detailed' describes something that includes many small facts, parts, or aspects. In Japanese, the most natural way to express this depends on whether you are describing a thing (a detailed report, a detailed explanation) or an action (explain in detail, examine in detail). This guide covers common adjectives, adverbs, and verbs to help you sound natural.
Use when you want to say a noun (report, explanation, map, etc.) is detailed, meaning it contains a lot of specific information.
The most common and versatile word for 'detailed'. It can mean both 'detailed' and 'knowledgeable'. When describing a thing, it means that thing provides a lot of detail.
He submitted a detailed report.
I need a more detailed explanation.
A more formal, often written word. It emphasizes precision and completeness. Commonly used in business or technical contexts.
A detailed analysis is necessary.
We obtained a detailed map.
Means 'minutely detailed' or 'giving every little detail'. Often used when the level of detail is excessive or very thorough.
She keeps a detailed diary.
Use when you want to describe how an action is performed: explain in detail, examine in detail, describe in detail, etc.
The adverbial form of 詳しい. This is the most natural way to say 'in detail' for most verbs.
Please explain in detail.
The adverbial form of 詳細な. More formal than 詳しく, often used in written reports or official contexts.
Means 'finely' or 'in a detailed manner', often implying breaking something down into small parts. Common with verbs like 見る (look), 分ける (divide), 説明する (explain).
Use when you want to say someone explains or describes something in detail, or when you ask someone to elaborate.
詳しい is the everyday word for 'detailed' and also means 'knowledgeable' (e.g., 彼は歴史に詳しい = He is knowledgeable about history). 詳細な is more formal and only means 'detailed' in the sense of containing precise information. Use 詳しい in most conversations, and 詳細な in formal writing or business settings.
詳細 is a noun meaning 'details'. To use it as an adjective, you must add な (詳細な). Saying 詳細報告 is possible as a compound noun, but it's less common than 詳細な報告.
We discussed the problem in detail.
We will report the survey results in detail.
Looking at it in detail, there are several problems.
I explained the procedure in detail.
I gave the details in the report.