Translation guide
How to express 'import' in Japanese, covering the act of bringing goods into a country, the concept of imported items, and related economic terms.
The act of bringing goods or services into a country from abroad.
The standard noun and suru-verb for 'import'. Used in business, economics, and everyday contexts.
日本は石油を輸入している。
Japan imports oil.
輸入が増えた。
Imports increased.
The verb form of 輸入. Use this when you need to conjugate or use it as a predicate.
新しい車を輸入する予定です。
We plan to import new cars.
Loanword from English, used in IT (importing data/files) or casual business contexts. Less common than 輸入 for trade.
データをインポートしてください。
Please import the data.
Referring to items that have been imported.
Standard term for 'imported goods' or 'imports' (the items themselves).
この店は輸入品をたくさん扱っている。
This store carries a lot of imported goods.
A slightly more colloquial term for imported items, often used in daily conversation.
輸入物のチーズは高い。
Imported cheese is expensive.
Bringing data or files into a software application.
The standard IT term for importing data. Used as a noun or suru-verb.
ファイルをインポートする方法を教えてください。
Please tell me how to import a file.
Means 'to take in' or 'import' in a broader sense, used for data, images, etc. More general than インポート.
The meaning or significance of something (as in 'the import of his words').
The most common word for 'meaning' or 'significance'. Use this for the general sense of 'import' as importance or implication.
彼の言葉の真の意味を理解した。
I understood the true import of his words.
Means 'importance'. Suitable when 'import' emphasizes significance rather than literal meaning.
輸入 is the standard term for trade imports. インポート is a loanword used mainly in IT contexts. Using インポート for trade can sound unnatural or overly casual.
ワインの輸入が増えた。
Wine imports increased.
データをインポートする。
Import data.
写真をパソコンに取り込んだ。
I imported the photos to my computer.
The import of this decision is immeasurable.