Translation guide
The English word "junction" refers to a point where things join or meet. In Japanese, the translation depends heavily on context: physical intersections (roads, railways), electrical connections, or abstract joining points. This guide covers the most common and useful Japanese expressions for each meaning.
A place where roads, highways, or railway lines meet or cross.
The most common word for a road intersection or crossing. Used for city streets and general road junctions.
Turn right at the next junction.
Literally 'branching point'. Used for junctions where a road or railway splits, like a fork or turnout.
Be careful not to make a mistake at the highway junction.
Specifically a merging point where traffic streams join, such as a highway on-ramp junction.
There is a junction ahead.
Loanword from English, used mainly for large highway interchanges or complex junctions. Often seen on road signs.
The Yokohama-Machida junction on the Tomei Expressway is often congested.
A point where electrical wires or circuits are connected.
General term for a connection point in electrical or electronic contexts.
Please check the cable junction.
Refers to a joint or junction part, often in hardware or physical connections.
This junction is loose.
Also used in electronics, e.g., 'PN junction' is PNジャンクション. Technical term.
A point where two or more things are joined, such as in anatomy, geography, or metaphorical contexts.
A point of contact or junction, often used abstractly (e.g., junction of ideas, cultures) or in geometry.
Explore the junction of two cultures.
A joining part, used in anatomy (e.g., junction of bones) or mechanical contexts.
The junction between bones is called a joint.
Do not use ジャンクション for ordinary street intersections; it sounds unnatural. Use 交差点 instead.
交差点 is a general crossing. 分岐点 is where a road splits. 合流点 is where roads merge. Choose based on the type of junction.
The accident happened at the junction.
That junction has many accidents.
PNジャンクションの特性を測定する。
Measure the characteristics of the PN junction.
Specifically a confluence or junction of rivers.
There is a town at the junction of the two rivers.