Translation guide
The English word 'picket' has several distinct meanings: a pointed stake used for fences or tents, a person or group stationed to protest or guard, and the act of protesting in this way. This guide covers how to express these concepts naturally in Japanese.
A pointed wooden or metal stake driven into the ground, often used for fences, tents, or as a marker.
General word for a stake or post driven into the ground. Can be used for fence posts, tent pegs, or markers.
I drove stakes into the garden and made a fence.
I hammered stakes into the ground to set up the tent.
Specifically a wooden stake or pole. Emphasizes the material and shape.
We lined up wooden stakes to mark the boundary.
Loanword from English, used in specific contexts like camping or military, but not common. Usually better to use 杭.
I bought tent pegs for camping.
A person or group stationed outside a workplace, embassy, etc., to protest, dissuade others from entering, or guard.
Common term for a group of picketers, especially in labor disputes. Combines the loanword ピケ (picket) with 隊 (group).
The striking workers organized a picket line.
Literally 'person who sets up a picket'. Used to describe an individual picketer.
Means 'watchman' or 'guard'. Can be used for a picket in a guarding sense, but lacks the protest nuance.
The action of demonstrating or protesting by standing outside a place, often to dissuade entry or draw attention to a cause.
Standard phrase meaning 'to picket' or 'to form a picket line'. Uses the loanword ピケ and the verb 張る (to stretch/set up).
The labor union picketed in front of the company.
They are picketing for a wage increase.
Uses the English gerund 'picketing' as a loanword. More direct but slightly less natural than ピケを張る.
General term for 'conduct a protest action'. Not specific to picketing, but can be used in broader contexts.
Do not use 杭 (stake) for the protest meaning. The protest sense is almost always expressed with the loanword ピケ. Using 杭 would cause confusion.
The phrase 'picket line' is often translated as ピケライン (pike rain) or ピケ隊の列 (line of picketers). However, ピケを張る already implies forming a line, so it's often unnecessary to specify 'line'.
People were standing in front of the factory, picketing.
彼は入り口で監視員として立っていた。
He stood at the entrance as a guard.
The students picketed against the tuition hike.
The union conducted a protest action in front of the company.