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.
Please check the employee directory.
Specifically an address book or directory of addresses. Common for personal or small-scale use.
Telephone directory (phone book). Still used for landline listings, though less common now.
A directory or who's who of notable people, often published as a book. Formal and somewhat literary.
A folder or location on a computer where files are stored and organized.
A website or online service that lists businesses, services, or other categorized information.
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.
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.
I made a class directory.
友達の住所録をなくしてしまった。
I lost my friends' address directory.
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.
業界の名鑑に彼の名前が載っている。
His name appears in the industry directory.
The standard technical term in computing, borrowed from English. Used in programming, command lines, and system administration.
Please save the file in your home directory.
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.
Create a new directory (folder).
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).
Register your site in a web directory.
Literally 'store list', used for directories of shops in a mall or on a website.
Look at the directory of stores in the shopping mall.
Let me introduce the members of the directory (board).