Translation guide
The act of moving around an area to guard it, maintain order, or inspect it. Japanese uses different words depending on who is patrolling and why.
Moving around an area to protect it or maintain security, often by police, security guards, or military.
General term for patrolling, used for police, security guards, or any regular rounds to check on things.
The police increased their night patrols.
Loanword from English, commonly used for police patrols or neighborhood watch. Slightly more casual than 巡回.
Formal or literary term for police patrol. Rarely used in everyday speech.
Volunteers or residents walking around to keep the neighborhood safe, often at night.
Soldiers moving through an area to gather information or maintain control.
Checking equipment, facilities, or areas as part of a job, like a night watchman or maintenance worker.
巡回 is the standard Japanese word for patrolling and can be used in most contexts. パトロール is a loanword that feels slightly more casual and is often associated with police or community patrols. In formal writing, 巡回 is preferred.
The police are patrolling.
The guard is patrolling the premises.
A security guard is patrolling the building.
An officer on patrol spotted a suspicious person.
A police officer on patrol discovered an incident.
Specifically refers to night patrols by community members, often with wooden clappers to remind people about fire safety.
We do neighborhood night patrols with the residents' association.
Crime prevention patrol, often done by volunteers or parents around schools.
We conduct crime prevention patrols when children are leaving school.
Military patrol, especially by ships or aircraft. Also used for reconnaissance missions.
A patrol aircraft is patrolling the territorial waters.
Reconnaissance or scouting, often overlapping with patrolling in military contexts.
The reconnaissance unit patrolled the enemy lines.
Going around to check on things, often used for guards, caretakers, or teachers checking classrooms.
There was nothing unusual during the night inspection rounds.
Also used for routine inspection rounds, like a technician checking machines.
We regularly patrol and inspect the factory machines.
A patrol car passed by.
While パトロール is common, it may sound out of place for military patrols or formal inspection rounds. Use 哨戒 for military contexts and 巡回 or 見回り for routine checks.
We organize a neighborhood patrol every night.
The patrol boat is checking the waters.