Translation guide
The English word 'retrieval' covers several distinct actions: getting something back that was lost or stored, accessing information from a system, and in computing, the process of fetching data. This guide breaks down these meanings and provides natural Japanese expressions for each.
To go and bring back an object that was left, lost, or stored somewhere.
General verb for 'to get back' or 'to recover' something that was lost or taken. Can be used for physical objects or abstract things like trust.
He went to the station to retrieve his lost item.
Formal verb for 'to collect' or 'to retrieve', often used for collecting distributed items, recovering debris, or retrieving data from devices.
The police retrieved the evidence.
Very formal term for 'finding and retrieving' lost property, used in legal or official contexts.
If you retrieve a lost item, please report it to the police.
To find and bring up information from a database, memory, or storage system.
The most common verb for 'to search' or 'to retrieve' information from a database, the internet, or a system. Focuses on the search action.
I retrieved the necessary information from the database.
Literally 'to take out', used for retrieving data or objects from a storage location. More physical nuance than 検索.
To 'call up' or 'retrieve' data, often used for bringing up records or information on a screen.
Loanword from English, used in IT contexts for data retrieval operations. Understandable but less natural than Japanese alternatives.
The system retrieves the data.
In programming or computer science, the act of obtaining data from a specific location.
Standard technical term for 'to acquire' or 'to fetch' data. Used in APIs, databases, and programming.
Retrieve data from the API.
Literally 'to read out', used for retrieving data from memory or storage devices.
Loanword 'fetch', used in technical computing contexts. Common among programmers but less formal than 取得.
The CPU fetches instructions.
To bring back an object that was thrown, typically for a dog.
Common command for dogs meaning 'fetch' or 'go get it and bring it back'. The verb 取る (to take) + 来る (to come).
I told the dog, 'Fetch!'
Loanword used specifically in dog training or hunting contexts. Not a verb; often used as a noun or in commands.
This dog is good at retrieval.
取り戻す implies regaining possession of something that was lost or taken away, often with personal effort. 回収する is more about systematic collection or recovery, often by an organization or authority.
He recovered his debt (got his money back).
The city collects bulky waste.
English often uses 'retrieval' as a noun, but Japanese prefers verb phrases. Instead of 'data retrieval', use データの取得 or データを取得すること. Direct noun forms like リトリーバル are rare and sound unnatural.
Data retrieval takes time.
The retrieval of the stolen goods took several days.
Information retrieval is a key function of search engines.
ファイルからデータを取り出す。
Retrieve data from a file.
顧客情報を画面に呼び出してください。
Please retrieve the customer information on the screen.
メモリから命令を読み出す。
Retrieve instructions from memory.