Translation guide
The English word "march" covers several distinct meanings: a way of walking, a protest or parade, a musical piece, and the month. This guide helps learners choose the right Japanese expression for each.
To describe soldiers or people walking in step, with a regular pace.
The standard verb for marching in a parade, military context, or organized group.
兵士たちが通りを行進した。
The soldiers marched down the street.
Specifically refers to a military march or troop movement over a distance.
部隊は夜通し行軍した。
The unit marched through the night.
Literally 'walk in step', used when emphasizing the synchronized walking itself.
彼らは足並みをそろえて歩いた。
They marched in step.
To describe a person walking briskly and purposefully, often out of anger or urgency.
Onomatopoeic phrase for walking briskly and forcefully, often without hesitation.
彼は怒ってずんずん歩いていった。
He marched off angrily.
Literally 'walk with big strides', conveys determined, purposeful walking.
彼女は大股で部屋を横切った。
She marched across the room.
Onomatopoeia for walking briskly and directly toward someone or something, often with a confrontational nuance.
彼はつかつかと私のところに歩いてきた。
He marched right up to me.
To refer to an organized public procession for a cause or celebration.
Short for デモンストレーション, the most common word for a protest march.
環境保護のデモに参加した。
I joined a march for environmental protection.
Explicitly 'demonstration march', used when the marching aspect is emphasized.
Used for celebratory parades, not protests. A festive march.
Do not use パレード for a protest march; it implies a festive event.
To refer to the musical genre.
The standard term for a musical march.
結婚行進曲が流れた。
The wedding march played.
Loanword from English, commonly used in band or sports contexts.
To refer to the third month of the year.
Standard word for March.
三月は卒業式の季節です。
March is graduation season.
Traditional Japanese name for the third lunar month, rarely used in modern conversation.
行進 (koushin) is the act of marching itself, often in a parade or military context. デモ (demo) specifically refers to a demonstration or protest march. Use デモ行進 when you want to emphasize the marching aspect of a protest.
English often uses 'march' figuratively for walking with purpose. In Japanese, using 行進する for a single person walking angrily sounds unnatural. Use onomatopoeic phrases like ずんずん歩く or つかつかと歩く instead.
デモ行進は市の中心部を通った。
The protest march went through the city center.
サーカスのパレードが町に来た。
The circus parade came to town.
The brass band played a march.
Yayoi is the month when we feel the arrival of spring.