Translation guide
The English word "dot" covers small round marks, the punctuation symbol, and the concept in domain names and URLs. This guide organizes the most useful Japanese equivalents by these meanings.
A tiny circular mark, spot, or point, often on a surface.
General word for a dot, point, or spot. Used in many contexts, from a dot on paper to a decimal point.
紙に点を打つ。
Put a dot on the paper.
a dot on the map
Loanword from English, often used in technical or design contexts, such as pixels or dot patterns.
Refers to spots or specks, often on animals, plants, or as stains. More specific than 点.
the spots on a ladybug
The dot used at the end of a sentence or in abbreviations.
The Japanese term for the full stop or period mark (。). Note that the Japanese period is a small circle, not a dot.
Put a period at the end of the sentence.
Loanword for the English period (.). Used when specifically referring to the dot-shaped punctuation mark.
Sometimes used for the dot in URLs or email addresses, but ドット is more common in technical contexts.
The dot symbol used in web addresses, email addresses, or as a decimal separator.
Standard way to say 'dot' in web/email contexts. For example, 'example dot com' is エグザンプルドットコム.
My email address is tanaka at example dot com.
Used for decimal points in numbers. For example, 3.14 is read as さんてんいちよん.
three point one four
Expressions like 'on the dot' or 'dot of' meaning a tiny bit.
English 'on the dot' is not translated with 点 or ドット. Use ちょうど (exactly) or きっかり (sharp) instead.
The meeting started at ten on the dot.
点 is the native Japanese word for a dot or point, used broadly. ドット is a loanword used mainly in computing, design, and when spelling out URLs/emails. For decimal points, use 点.
英語では文末にピリオドを使う。
In English, you use a period at the end of a sentence.
the dot in a URL