Translation guide
The English word 'surrealism' refers to an artistic and literary movement, but is also used loosely to describe bizarre, dreamlike, or irrational situations. This guide covers both the specific art term and the everyday descriptive use.
Referring to the 20th-century avant-garde movement that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind.
Describing a situation, image, or experience that is strangely unreal, like a dream or hallucination.
シュール is a casual, trendy word often used for absurd humor or bizarre art. 非現実的 is more neutral and can describe anything that feels unreal, including beautiful or frightening scenes. 現実離れした implies something is so strange it's hard to believe it's real.
彼のジョークはいつもシュールだ。
His jokes are always surreal/absurd.
夕焼けが非現実的に美しかった。
The sunset was surrealistically beautiful.
The standard loanword for the artistic movement. Used in art history and criticism.
シュルレアリスムは1920年代にフランスで始まった。
Surrealism began in France in the 1920s.
The Japanese translation of 'surrealism', literally 'super-realism'. More formal and less common than the loanword.
超現実主義の画家たちは夢や無意識を表現した。
Surrealist painters expressed dreams and the unconscious.
Means 'unrealistic' or 'surreal' in the sense of being detached from reality. Commonly used for strange, dreamlike scenes.
その風景は非現実的だった。
The scenery was surreal.
Literally 'dream-like'. Used for beautiful or fantastical experiences, but can also imply strangeness.
夢のような光景が広がっていた。
A surreal scene spread out before us.
Means 'divorced from reality'. Stronger than 非現実的, often used for absurd or unbelievable situations.
彼の話は現実離れしていて信じられなかった。
His story was so surreal that I couldn't believe it.
Abbreviation of シュルレアリスム, used colloquially to mean 'surreal', 'bizarre', or 'absurd'. Very common in casual speech.
あの映画、めっちゃシュールだったね。
That movie was so surreal, wasn't it?