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.
I eat pasta with a fork.
There aren't enough forks on the table.
A point where something splits into two or more parts.
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.
The action of splitting into branches.
A metal instrument that produces a fixed tone.
The standard term for a tuning fork.
A move that attacks two pieces simultaneously.
The loanword is used in chess contexts.
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.
Literally 'dividing road'. The most common word for a fork in a path or road.
Take the right at the fork.
A more formal or technical term for a branching point, used for roads, railways, or abstract paths.
The track splits into two at this fork.
Literally 'two crotches'. Often used for a fork in a road, tree branch, or river. Can also mean 'bifurcation'.
The river forks into two.
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.
I gather fallen leaves with a rake (not exactly a fork).
Intransitive verb meaning 'to branch off' or 'to fork'. Used for roads, rivers, etc.
The road forks into two.
Formal or technical verb for 'to branch' or 'to fork'.
The pipeline forks here.
I tune the piano using a tuning fork.
ナイトでフォークをかける。
I fork with the knight.