Translation guide
In computing, 'main memory' refers to the primary storage that the CPU directly accesses for data and instructions. This guide covers how to express this concept naturally in Japanese, from technical terms to everyday explanations.
The hardware component that temporarily holds data and programs currently in use, often contrasted with secondary storage like hard disks.
Direct loanword from English, widely understood in technical contexts. The most common equivalent for 'main memory'.
This computer has 8GB of main memory.
Formal technical term, literally 'main storage device'. Used in textbooks and specifications.
Increasing the capacity of main memory improves processing speed.
Abbreviated form of 主記憶装置, common in technical discussions.
Data is temporarily stored in main memory.
Often used interchangeably with main memory in casual tech talk, though technically RAM is a type of main memory.
The app crashes because there isn't enough RAM.
Generic term for 'memory'. Can refer to main memory, but context is needed to distinguish from storage. Often used in phrases like メモリ不足 (insufficient memory).
After adding more memory, it runs faster.
The abstract idea of main memory in computer architecture, often discussed in academic or theoretical contexts.
The standard term in computer science for the main memory component in the memory hierarchy.
Please explain the difference between main memory and cache memory.
Literally 'primary storage device', sometimes used to emphasize the primary nature in contrast to secondary storage.
When explaining what main memory does to someone unfamiliar with computers, using simple analogies.
Explain main memory as the desk space where you temporarily put things you're working on, while the hard disk is like a filing cabinet. This is a common analogy in Japanese IT literacy materials.
Main memory is like a work desk, a place to temporarily put the data you're using.
A descriptive phrase meaning 'temporary storage area', easy for non-experts to grasp.
メインメモリ is the most common and natural term in both spoken and written technical Japanese. 主記憶装置 is more formal and often appears in academic or specification documents. In casual conversation, simply メモリ is often enough when context is clear.
I upgraded the main memory to 16GB.
The access speed of the main memory is the bottleneck.
The literal translation 主な記憶 (main memory as in 'primary recollection') is incorrect in computing contexts. It would be interpreted as 'main memories' in the psychological sense. Always use the established technical terms.
Primary storage is often volatile.
When the computer's temporary storage area runs out, it slows down.