Translation guide
In baseball, an outfielder is a player positioned in the outfield. This guide covers how to refer to outfielders in Japanese, including common terms, positional specifics, and usage in conversation.
外野手
outfielder
The most common way to refer to an outfielder in Japanese, used in all contexts.
Standard term for 'outfielder' in baseball. Used in formal and informal contexts, news, and conversation.
彼はプロ野球の外野手です。
He is a professional baseball outfielder.
外野手はフライを捕りました。
The outfielder caught the fly ball.
To refer to a specific outfield position: left fielder, center fielder, or right fielder.
Left fielder. Often abbreviated in casual speech.
左翼手がホームランを打った。
The left fielder hit a home run.
Center fielder. Often abbreviated in casual speech.
Right fielder. Often abbreviated in casual speech.
右翼手がレーザービームを投げた。
The right fielder threw a laser beam.
Shorter, more casual ways to refer to outfielders, common in conversation and among fans.
Literally 'outfield', but often used to mean 'outfielder' in casual contexts. Can be ambiguous, so context matters.
Can also mean the outfield area itself. Use with care when clarity is needed.
彼は外野を守っている。
He is playing the outfield. / He is an outfielder.
Loanword for 'left fielder' or 'left field'. Very common in casual speech.
Loanword for 'center fielder' or 'center field'. Very common in casual speech.
Loanword for 'right fielder' or 'right field'. Very common in casual speech.
ライトの肩が強い。
The right fielder has a strong arm.
When talking about the group of outfielders as a unit.
The outfield corps; the group of outfielders on a team. Used in sports news and analysis.
このチームの外野陣は強力だ。
This team's outfielders are strong.
外野手 (がいやしゅ) specifically means 'outfielder' (the player), while 外野 (がいや) means 'outfield' (the area). In casual speech, 外野 is sometimes used to refer to the player, but it can be ambiguous. For clarity, use 外野手.
外野手がボールを追いかけた。
The outfielder chased the ball.
外野にボールが飛んだ。
The ball flew into the outfield.
In casual conversation, Japanese speakers often use English loanwords like レフト, センター, ライト for the three outfield positions. These are widely understood and sound natural among fans.
中堅手は守備がうまい。
The center fielder is good at defense.
The left fielder made an error.
センターが深いフライを捕った。
The center fielder caught a deep fly ball.