Translation guide
The English word "facilities" covers a broad range of meanings, from physical buildings and equipment to services and bodily functions. This guide breaks down the most common uses for learners.
Referring to physical infrastructure like sports complexes, factories, or public amenities.
The most general and common word for facilities as physical places or installations. Used for public, commercial, or institutional buildings and equipment.
このスポーツ施設は誰でも利用できます。
These sports facilities are open to everyone.
新しい医療施設が来年オープンします。
A new medical facility will open next year.
Focuses more on the equipment, fixtures, or installations within a building, rather than the building itself. Often used for machinery, air conditioning, or kitchen setups.
このホテルは最新の設備が整っています。
This hotel has state-of-the-art facilities.
工場の設備を点検する。
Inspect the factory facilities.
Used for institutional facilities like research centers or public bodies, emphasizing their organizational role.
この研究機関は優れた施設を持っています。
This research institution has excellent facilities.
Referring to things like banking facilities, childcare facilities, or credit facilities—abstract services rather than physical places.
Often the most natural translation when 'facilities' means a service offered. Use in compounds like 'banking facilities' → 銀行サービス.
この銀行はオンラインバンキングのサービスを提供しています。
This bank offers online banking facilities.
Used when 'facilities' refers to a system or scheme, like credit facilities or loan facilities.
A pattern meaning 'can use ~', often used to describe available facilities without a direct noun.
ホテルではランドリーサービスが利用できます。
Laundry facilities are available at the hotel.
The polite English euphemism 'facilities' meaning restroom.
The standard word for toilet/restroom. Not a euphemism in Japanese, but the direct equivalent.
すみません、トイレはどこですか？
Excuse me, where are the facilities?
A polite euphemism for toilet, closer in tone to 'facilities' or 'restroom'.
Referring to the ability to perform natural bodily functions, often in medical or care contexts.
Medical/formal term for excretion. Used in phrases like 'bodily facilities'.
患者の排泄の介助を行う。
Assist the patient with their bodily facilities.
A common euphemism for using the toilet, similar to 'answer the call of nature'.
The rare meaning of 'facility' as skill or ease, e.g., 'He speaks with great facility.'
Means 'easiness' or 'facility' in the sense of lack of difficulty. Rarely used for people.
彼はその言語を容易に話す。
He speaks the language with facility.
Means proficiency or skill, often used as '堪能な' (proficient).
彼女は英語が堪能だ。
She has great facility in English.
施設 (shisetsu) refers to the whole building or complex, while 設備 (setsubi) refers to the equipment and installations inside. For example, a school is a 施設, but its air conditioning and computers are 設備.
この施設には最新の設備がある。
This facility has the latest equipment.
English 'facilities' often means services like banking or credit. In Japanese, using 施設 for these sounds unnatural. Use サービス or 制度 instead.
We offer flexible credit facilities.
お手洗いをお借りできますか？
May I use your facilities?
ちょっと用を足してきます。
I'm just going to use the facilities.