Translation guide
In Japanese, 'external storage' is commonly expressed using the loanword 外部ストレージ or the native phrase 外部記憶装置. The choice depends on context: IT/consumer devices favor the katakana term, while technical or formal documents may use the kanji compound.
Refers to storage devices connected externally to a computer, smartphone, etc., such as USB drives, external hard drives, or SD cards.
The most common and natural term in everyday tech contexts. It is a direct loan from English and widely understood.
This app can save data to external storage.
The external storage is not recognized.
A more formal or technical term, often used in computing textbooks, specifications, or formal writing. It literally means 'external memory device'.
Use a USB memory as an external storage device.
Emphasizes that the storage is 'externally attached'. Common in consumer contexts, especially for hard drives.
I bought an external storage.
Specifically refers to an external hard disk drive. Use only when the storage medium is a hard disk.
Back up to an external hard disk.
In enterprise IT, 'external storage' may refer to network-attached storage (NAS), storage area networks (SAN), or cloud storage services that are external to a server.
外部ストレージ is the everyday term used in apps, settings, and casual conversation. 外部記憶装置 is more formal and often appears in technical manuals or academic papers. For most learners, 外部ストレージ is the safer choice.
My phone's external storage is full.
Expand the capacity of the external storage device.
Do not translate 'external storage' word-for-word as 外部の貯蔵 or similar. The established terms are 外部ストレージ or 外部記憶装置. Using a non-standard phrase may cause confusion.
Please insert an external storage device.
The system supports external storage.
We are considering the introduction of an external storage system.