Translation guide
The concept of making things happen at the same time or coordinating timing. In Japanese, this is expressed through nouns, verbs, and compound words depending on whether you mean technical synchronization, coordinating schedules, or simultaneous action.
Making devices, systems, or processes operate in unison or at the same rate.
The most common and direct translation for technical synchronization, such as data syncing, clock synchronization, or video/audio sync.
スマートフォンとパソコンを同期する。
I sync my smartphone and computer.
音声と映像の同期がずれている。
The audio and video are out of sync.
From English 'synchro'. Often used in entertainment or casual tech contexts, like synchronized swimming or light shows.
シンクロナイズドスイミングは芸術的だ。
Synchronized swimming is artistic.
More about tuning or adjusting to match, often used in radio or psychological contexts. Not the default for data sync.
ラジオの周波数を同調させる。
Tune the radio frequency.
Arranging for people or activities to happen at the same time or in a coordinated manner.
Literally 'to match schedules'. The most natural way to say you are synchronizing plans with someone.
会議のために日程を合わせましょう。
Let's synchronize our schedules for the meeting.
To synchronize timing, often for actions like jumping, starting a race, or launching a product.
みんなでタイミングを合わせてジャンプしよう。
Let's all jump at the same time.
To do simultaneously. A straightforward way to express synchronized actions.
二つのイベントを同時に行うのは難しい。
It's difficult to hold two events simultaneously.
Describing phenomena like biological rhythms, social behavior, or natural cycles aligning.
Also used for biological or social synchronization, e.g., menstrual synchrony or crowd behavior.
女性の生理周期が同期することがある。
Women's menstrual cycles sometimes synchronize.
Used in psychology or sociology for conformity or aligning opinions/behaviors.
English speakers might say 'let's synchronize our calendars', but in Japanese it's more natural to say 日程を合わせる (match schedules) or 予定を合わせる (match plans). Using 同期する for people's schedules sounds overly technical.
同期 is the default for technical sync (data, clocks, video). 同調 is for tuning/adjusting to match a signal or conforming to a group. Don't use 同調 for computer sync.
集団の意見に同調する。
Conform to the group's opinion.