Translation guide
The quality of being trustworthy, consistent, and dependable. In Japanese, this concept is expressed through various words and phrases depending on whether you're talking about people, machines, information, or systems.
彼は信頼できる人です。
He is a reliable person.
このデータの信頼性は高いです。
The reliability of this data is high.
Describing a person who is reliable, dependable, and can be counted on.
The most common way to say someone is reliable. Literally 'can be trusted'. Used for people you can rely on in personal or professional contexts.
彼は信頼できる同僚です。
He is a reliable colleague.
Means 'to become a person one can rely on'. Slightly more casual and warm than 信頼できる. Often used for friends or family.
彼女は本当に頼りになる友達だ。
She is a truly reliable friend.
Focuses on trustworthiness in terms of honesty and integrity. Often used in business or financial contexts.
あの人は信用できるビジネスパートナーです。
That person is a reliable business partner.
Casual expression meaning 'can be counted on'. Often used in negative form to say someone is unreliable.
彼の言うことは当てにならない。
What he says is not reliable.
Describing the trustworthiness of data, news, reports, or references.
The standard noun for 'reliability' in technical or formal contexts. Used for data, sources, systems, etc.
このデータの信頼性は高い。
The reliability of this data is high.
Similar to 信頼性 but often used for credibility of information or people in terms of trust.
Means 'certainty' or 'reliability' in a more abstract sense. Less common than 信頼性.
その噂の確かさは疑わしい。
The reliability of that rumor is doubtful.
Describing how consistently a device, software, or process works without failure.
Same word as for information, but also the standard term for technical reliability (e.g., engineering, IT).
このシステムの信頼性は99.9%です。
The reliability of this system is 99.9%.
Means 'stability'. Often used for software or hardware that doesn't crash or fluctuate.
Means 'durability'. Used for physical products that last a long time without breaking.
Describing someone or something that consistently performs well or meets expectations.
Means 'certainty' or 'sureness'. Used when you can count on a result or action.
彼の仕事には確実性がある。
There is reliability in his work.
Literally 'there is no mistake'. Used colloquially to say something or someone is reliable/sure.
信頼 (shinrai) is trust based on past performance or character, often long-term. 信用 (shin'yō) is trust based on honesty or credibility, often in a specific transaction or statement. For 'reliability' of a person, 信頼できる is more common; for 'credibility' of a claim, 信用できる is better.
信頼性 is a technical noun for reliability of things, not people. To describe a reliable person, use 信頼できる人 or 頼りになる人.
We need to verify the reliability of that information.
This app has high reliability (stability).
This car has excellent reliability (durability).
If you leave it to him, it's reliable (there will be no mistake).