Translation guide
The English word 'random' can describe something lacking a pattern, something unexpected, or an arbitrary choice. This guide covers natural Japanese expressions for these meanings.
Describing something that occurs without a predictable pattern, sequence, or organization.
Describing something that happens suddenly and without warning, often surprising.
Referring to a choice made without any particular reason, or an unspecified item from a group.
Means 'randomly' or 'without much thought' when making a choice. Can also mean 'suitable', but in this context it implies a casual, arbitrary selection.
Can also mean 'appropriate' or 'half-hearted' depending on context. When used to mean 'random', it often carries a nuance of not caring much about the choice.
適当に一つ選んで。
Just pick one at random.
ランダム is the most common and neutral word for 'random' in modern Japanese. 無作為 is formal and used in statistics or research. でたらめ implies a negative, careless randomness, like nonsense or haphazard actions.
ランダムな順番で発表してください。
Please present in a random order.
無作為抽出は統計の基本です。
Random sampling is fundamental in statistics.
A loanword from English, widely used in casual and technical contexts to mean 'random' in the sense of lacking order or being selected by chance.
ランダムに数字を選んでください。
Please choose numbers at random.
このゲームはランダムな要素が多い。
This game has many random elements.
A formal term meaning 'random' or 'without intention', often used in statistics, research, or official contexts.
無作為に抽出したサンプルを調査した。
We surveyed a randomly selected sample.
Means 'random' in a negative sense: haphazard, nonsensical, or without any logic. Often used for actions or statements that are careless or irresponsible.
彼の言うことはでたらめだ。
What he says is random nonsense.
でたらめな数字を書かないで。
Don't write down random numbers.
Literally 'as one's hand touches', meaning doing something randomly or indiscriminately, often with a sense of urgency or lack of selectivity.
彼は手当たり次第に本を読んだ。
He read books at random, whatever he could get his hands on.
The most common word for 'suddenly' or 'unexpectedly'. It can convey the idea of something random happening without prior indication.
突然、彼が現れた。
He showed up randomly / out of the blue.
A casual adverb meaning 'suddenly' or 'without warning', often used when something happens abruptly and unexpectedly.
いきなり雨が降り出した。
It started raining randomly / out of nowhere.
Literally 'without context', used when someone says or does something completely unrelated to the current situation, i.e., random.
彼は脈絡もなく昔の話を始めた。
He randomly started talking about the past.
A common phrase meaning 'any one is fine', used when the specific choice doesn't matter. It conveys the idea of randomness through indifference.
どれでもいいから、早く決めて。
Just pick any random one, hurry up.
A formal term meaning 'arbitrary' or 'optional', used in technical, mathematical, or official contexts.
任意の数字を入力してください。
Please enter an arbitrary number.
His answer was random nonsense.
While ランダム is widely understood, using it in every situation can sound unnatural. For unexpected events, use 突然 or いきなり. For arbitrary choices, 適当に or どれでもいい may be more natural.
His answer was random nonsense.
While ランダム is widely understood, using it in every situation can sound unnatural. For unexpected events, use 突然 or いきなり. For arbitrary choices, 適当に or どれでもいい may be more natural.