Translation guide
In figure skating, the free skating program where skaters perform jumps, spins, and choreography to music. This guide covers how to refer to the event, the performance, and related actions in Japanese.
Referring to the free skating segment of a figure skating competition.
The most common and direct loanword from English. Used in official contexts and everyday conversation.
彼はフリースケーティングで高得点を出した。
He scored high in the free skating.
Short for フリースケーティング. Very common in casual speech and sports commentary.
明日は女子のフリーがあります。
Tomorrow is the women's free skating.
Literally 'free performance'. A more formal or descriptive term, sometimes used in rulebooks or older texts.
自由演技では、選手は自分の選んだ音楽で滑る。
In free skating, skaters perform to music of their choice.
Describing the action of performing a free skating routine.
The most natural way to say 'to skate the free program'. Uses the verb 滑る (to skate).
彼女は素晴らしいフリーを滑った。
She skated a wonderful free program.
A more literal translation using する. Less common than フリーを滑る but still understood.
練習でフリースケーティングをしました。
I did free skating in practice.
In most contexts, フリー is sufficient and natural. フリースケーティング is used for clarity or in formal writing. Avoid 自由演技 unless you are reading older documents or want to sound very technical.