Translation guide
A raised structure extending from land over water, used for docking boats, fishing, or walking. Japanese distinguishes between large port piers, recreational piers, and simple wooden docks.
A substantial structure where large vessels dock, often part of a port facility.
General term for a pier or jetty, from small wooden ones to large port structures. Most common and versatile.
フェリーは桟橋に接岸した。
The ferry docked at the pier.
Specifically a wharf or quay where ships load/unload cargo. More industrial/port-focused.
貨物船が埠頭に停泊している。
A cargo ship is moored at the pier.
Literary or nostalgic term for a pier or wharf, often in songs or old port towns.
波止場で別れを惜しんだ。
We said our goodbyes at the pier.
A pier built for leisure, often with shops, restaurants, or fishing spots.
Also used for recreational piers. Context clarifies the type.
観光客が桟橋から海を眺めている。
Tourists are looking at the sea from the pier.
Loanword from English, used for modern recreational piers or in names like 'Santa Monica Pier'.
サンタモニカピアは観光名所だ。
Santa Monica Pier is a tourist attraction.
Specifically a promenade pier. Rare, but precise.
その遊歩桟橋にはベンチが並んでいる。
Benches line the promenade pier.
A simple, often wooden structure extending into a lake, river, or calm sea.
Works for small piers too. Very common.
湖の桟橋で釣りをした。
I fished from the pier on the lake.
Literally 'boat landing place'. Often a simple dock or small pier.
Floating pier or pontoon, often used for small boats or swimming.
A vertical support for a bridge or building, not a walkway.
Specifically a bridge pier or pillar. Not for docks.
橋脚が洪水で損傷した。
The bridge pier was damaged by the flood.
General prop or support post, can be used for architectural piers.
桟橋 is the most common and versatile term for any pier-like structure. 埠頭 is specifically a cargo wharf in a port. 波止場 is a nostalgic, literary term often used in songs or poetry.
ピア is a loanword mainly used in proper names (e.g., サンタモニカピア) or modern recreational piers. Using it for a simple wooden dock sounds unnatural.
桟橋の先端まで歩いた。
We walked to the end of the pier.
古い桟橋が嵐で壊れた。
The old pier was destroyed by the storm.
小さな船着き場にボートを繋いだ。
We tied the boat to the small pier.
浮き桟橋から海に飛び込んだ。
I jumped into the sea from the floating pier.
Reinforce the building's piers.