Translation guide
A directory is a list of names, addresses, or other information, often organized alphabetically or by category. In Japanese, the most common equivalent is 名簿 (meibo) for lists of people, or ディレクトリ (direkutori) in computing contexts. The choice depends on what kind of directory you mean.
A book, file, or database listing names, addresses, phone numbers, etc., often for contact purposes.
General term for a list of names, such as a membership roster, class list, or employee directory. Often used in formal or organizational contexts.
社員名簿を確認してください。
Please check the employee directory.
クラスの名簿を作成しました。
I made a class directory.
Specifically an address book or directory of addresses. Common for personal or small-scale use.
友達の住所録をなくしてしまった。
I lost my friends' address directory.
Telephone directory (phone book). Still used for landline listings, though less common now.
電話帳でレストランの番号を調べた。
I looked up the restaurant's number in the phone directory.
A directory or who's who of notable people, often published as a book. Formal and somewhat literary.
業界の名鑑に彼の名前が載っている。
His name appears in the industry directory.
A folder or location on a computer where files are stored and organized.
The standard technical term in computing, borrowed from English. Used in programming, command lines, and system administration.
ホームディレクトリにファイルを保存してください。
Please save the file in your home directory.
ディレクトリ構造を理解する。
Understand the directory structure.
Commonly used in graphical user interfaces (e.g., Windows, macOS) to mean 'folder'. More user-friendly than ディレクトリ.
A website or online service that lists businesses, services, or other categorized information.
Also used for web directories, such as Yahoo! Directory or business listings. Often combined with サイト (site) or サービス (service).
ウェブディレクトリにサイトを登録する。
Register your site in a web directory.
Literally 'store list', used for directories of shops in a mall or on a website.
ショッピングモールの店舗一覧を見る。
Look at the directory of stores in the shopping mall.
A group of people who manage or direct an organization (archaic or specialized).
Means 'board of directors' or 'council', not a list. Only used when 'directory' is used in the sense of a governing body, which is very rare in modern English.
理事会のメンバーを紹介します。
Let me introduce the members of the directory (board).
名簿 is a general list of names (e.g., members, employees). 住所録 focuses on addresses. 電話帳 is specifically a phone book. Use the one that matches the type of information in your directory.
ディレクトリ is a loanword used almost exclusively in IT. Using it for a printed list of people would sound unnatural. Stick to 名簿 or similar terms.
Create a new directory (folder).