Translation guide
The English word 'skating' can refer to several activities: ice skating, roller skating, inline skating, and skateboarding. In Japanese, different words are used for each. This guide helps you choose the right term based on the type of skating.
Moving on ice with ice skates, either as recreation or sport.
The most common and general term for ice skating. Can be used as a noun or with する to mean 'to skate'.
Would you like to go skating in winter?
She is good at skating.
Specifically 'ice skating', used when distinction from other types is needed.
I want to become an ice skating athlete.
Moving on a hard surface with roller skates (four wheels in a rectangular arrangement).
The standard term for roller skating. Use with する for the activity.
I used to roller skate a lot when I was a child.
Moving on inline skates (wheels in a single line), also known as rollerblading.
The term for inline skating. Often shortened to インライン in casual speech.
Many people enjoy inline skating in the park.
Riding and performing tricks on a skateboard.
The word for skateboarding. Often abbreviated to スケボー in casual contexts.
He practices skateboarding every day.
In Japanese, スケート (sukēto) almost always means ice skating. Using it for skateboarding will cause confusion. Use スケートボード or スケボー for skateboarding.
For all types, you can add する (suru) to the noun to mean 'to do [that activity]'. For example: スケートする (to ice skate), ローラースケートする (to roller skate).
It's dangerous to go down stairs on a skateboard.