Translation guide
A device for recording and playing back audio on magnetic tape. In Japanese, the most common term is a loanword from English, but there are also native Japanese terms and related words for different types of recorders.
The most common way to refer to a tape recorder in everyday conversation.
The standard loanword for 'tape recorder'. Widely understood and used in both casual and formal contexts.
I still have an old tape recorder.
I recorded the meeting with a tape recorder.
A more formal or technical term meaning 'recording device'. Can refer to any audio recorder, not just tape-based ones.
This recording device has high sound quality.
An abbreviation of 'tape recorder' used in very casual or slangy speech. Not common in modern usage.
I was listening to music on a tape recorder.
Specifically a recorder that uses cassette tapes, which is the most familiar type for many people.
The standard term for a cassette tape recorder. Often used when distinguishing from reel-to-reel or other formats.
When I was a child, I recorded the radio with a cassette recorder.
A professional or older type of tape recorder using open reels.
The full term for a reel-to-reel tape recorder. Used in audio engineering and by enthusiasts.
There is a reel-to-reel tape recorder in the studio.
A shorter, common term for a reel-to-reel tape deck. Often used by audiophiles.
Play the master tape on the reel-to-reel deck.
A small, often handheld device for recording voice memos or interviews.
Commonly used for digital voice recorders today, but can also refer to small tape-based recorders. The most natural term for a portable recording device.
I recorded the contents of the meeting on a voice recorder.
Specifically a digital voice recorder using flash memory. Very common in modern contexts, but not tape-based.
IC recorders are small and convenient.
While 'tape recorder' in English often implies magnetic tape, in Japanese, テープレコーダー can sometimes be used loosely for any audio recorder, though ボイスレコーダー or ICレコーダー are more precise for digital devices. If you want to emphasize the tape aspect, use カセットレコーダー or オープンリールテープレコーダー.
A longer, more explicit form of 'cassette tape recorder'. Less common but perfectly clear.
Cassette tape recorders are no longer produced.