Translation guide
The English word 'fork' can refer to a utensil, a branching point, or an action. This guide covers the most common Japanese equivalents for each meaning, from everyday objects to technical terms.
The tool used for eating, with a handle and prongs.
The standard loanword for 'fork' as an eating utensil. Used in all contexts.
フォークでパスタを食べる。
I eat pasta with a fork.
テーブルにフォークが足りない。
There aren't enough forks on the table.
A point where something splits into two or more parts.
Literally 'dividing road'. The most common word for a fork in a path or road.
分かれ道で右に行く。
Take the right at the fork.
A more formal or technical term for a branching point, used for roads, railways, or abstract paths.
Literally 'two crotches'. Often used for a fork in a road, tree branch, or river. Can also mean 'bifurcation'.
A tool with prongs used for digging or lifting.
The same loanword is used for gardening forks, often specified as ガーデンフォーク or ピッチフォーク.
ガーデンフォークで土を耕す。
I till the soil with a garden fork.
A rake-like tool, but sometimes used for a pitchfork in traditional contexts. Not a direct equivalent.
The action of splitting into branches.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to branch off' or 'to fork'. Used for roads, rivers, etc.
道が二つに分かれる。
The road forks into two.
Formal or technical verb for 'to branch' or 'to fork'.
パイプラインがここで分岐する。
The pipeline forks here.
A metal instrument that produces a fixed tone.
The standard term for a tuning fork.
音叉を鳴らしてピアノを調律する。
I tune the piano using a tuning fork.
A move that attacks two pieces simultaneously.
The loanword is used in chess contexts.
ナイトでフォークをかける。
I fork with the knight.
While フォーク is understood as the utensil, it is not used for a fork in a road. Use 分かれ道 or 分岐点 instead.
この分岐点で線路が二つに分かれる。
The track splits into two at this fork.
川が二股に分かれている。
The river forks into two.
I gather fallen leaves with a rake (not exactly a fork).