Translation guide
The English word "section" covers many distinct concepts. This guide breaks them down into practical meanings and shows how to express each naturally in Japanese.
Referring to a distinct part of a whole, such as a section of a document, a newspaper, or a store.
General word for 'part' or 'section'. Safe for most contexts.
I don't understand this section of the document.
Loanword from English, used in modern contexts like websites, manuals, or organized divisions.
Please look at the FAQ section of the website.
Formal term for a division or section, often used in legal or administrative contexts.
The land is divided into several sections.
Referring to a physical area designated for a specific purpose, like a seating section or a section of a city.
Refers to a defined area or zone, such as a section of a city or a restricted area.
This section is off-limits.
Loanword used for areas in stores, venues, or events.
Often used for plots of land or partitioned sections, like in a cemetery or parking lot.
Referring to a section within a company, government, or other organization.
Standard suffix for a section or department in a company or government office. Often combined with a specific name.
Please contact the personnel section.
Larger than 課, often translated as 'department' but can correspond to 'section' in some organizations.
General term for a division or section, often used in business contexts.
Referring to a view or cut that shows the inside of something, like a cross-section diagram.
Referring to a specific part of a publication, like the sports section.
Referring to a numbered clause or article in a legal or formal document.
In Japanese companies, 課 (か) is a small section, 部 (ぶ) is a larger department, and 部門 (ぶもん) is a general term for a division. The exact hierarchy varies by organization, but 課 is the most direct equivalent to 'section' in many cases.
While セクション is understood, it is not as common as the native Japanese words for specific contexts. Overusing it can sound unnatural.
The non-smoking section is over there.
Please tell me the section number of the parking lot.
Mr. Yamada from the sales section, please.
He works in the research and development section.
断面図を見ると内部構造がわかります。
You can see the internal structure by looking at the cross-section diagram.
There was a detailed article in the business section.
Please refer to Article 3, Section 2.