Translation guide
In Japanese, the concept of 'garbage collection' is expressed differently depending on whether you mean the municipal service, the act of collecting trash, or the specific day. The most common and useful term is ごみ収集 (gomi shūshū).
Referring to the public service that collects household waste on a regular schedule.
Standard term for garbage collection as a service. Used in official contexts and everyday conversation.
ごみ収集は毎週火曜日です。
Garbage collection is every Tuesday.
Slightly more explicit with the possessive particle の. Equally natural.
ごみの収集日を確認してください。
Please check the garbage collection day.
Can be used alone when context is clear, but usually combined with ごみ.
収集は午前8時からです。
Collection is from 8 a.m.
Referring specifically to the day when garbage is collected.
Common, casual way to say 'garbage day'. Used in daily conversation.
明日はごみの日だよ。
Tomorrow is garbage day.
More formal term often seen on signs or schedules.
ごみ収集日は地域によって異なります。
Garbage collection days vary by area.
Describing the physical action of picking up or gathering trash.
General verb phrase meaning 'to collect garbage'. Used for any gathering of trash.
彼は公園でごみを集めている。
He is collecting garbage in the park.
More formal, often used for organized collection by a service or company.
市がごみを回収します。
The city collects the garbage.
The vehicle used for garbage collection.
Standard term for a garbage truck.
ごみ収集車が来た。
The garbage truck came.
Common colloquial term, especially for compactor trucks.
パッカー車がごみを集めている。
The garbage truck is collecting trash.
収集 (shūshū) is general 'collection', while 回収 (kaishū) implies 'retrieval' or 'recovery', often used for recycling or bulky waste. For regular household garbage, 収集 is more common.