Translation guide
The most common Japanese word for 'factory' is 工場 (こうじょう). Other terms exist for specific types of factories or plants, but 工場 covers most general uses.
A building or group of buildings where goods are manufactured or assembled.
The standard, neutral word for a factory. Used for most manufacturing facilities.
My father works at a car factory.
There are many large factories in this town.
An alternative reading of 工場, often used for smaller workshops or artisan factories. Can sound more traditional or intimate.
I learned metalworking at a small factory.
Loanword from English 'plant', used for large-scale industrial facilities, especially chemical or processing plants.
A new chemical plant is under construction.
Referring to a factory by its product or industry.
Attach the product name to 工場 to specify the type of factory. Very productive pattern.
food factory
Often used in company names for manufacturing plants, especially for machinery or metal products.
こうじょう is the standard reading for modern, large-scale factories. こうば often implies a smaller, more traditional workshop or a place where skilled craftspeople work. In many contexts, こうじょう is the safer choice.
large-scale factory
small local factory
These parts are made at a factory in Osaka.