Translation guide
A flat container for carrying or holding items. Japanese has several words depending on material, shape, and use.
A flat, often rectangular, tray used to carry meals, dishes, or drinks.
The most common word for a tray used in daily life, especially for carrying food and dishes. Often wooden or plastic.
I carried the coffee on a tray.
Loanword from English. Common in restaurants, cafeterias, and fast food. Often plastic or metal.
I waited in line holding a tray at the cafeteria.
Same as お盆 but without the honorific prefix. Used in compounds or formal contexts.
I will serve it on a tray.
A small, often lacquered tray used in tea ceremony or for serving tea and sweets.
A small, often decorative tray for holding personal items on a desk or dresser.
General term for a small container or tray for accessories, keys, etc. Not exclusively a tray, but commonly used.
I keep a small tray on my desk and put my keys in it.
Also used for small decorative trays, especially in modern or Western-style interiors.
A flat metal tray used for baking in an oven.
The part of a machine where paper or discs are placed.
Used for paper trays in printers, CD/DVD trays, etc. Often written in katakana.
I refilled the paper in the printer tray.
The fold-down table attached to the back of a seat.
お盆 is the traditional Japanese word for a tray, often wooden and used in homes. トレー is a loanword and feels more modern or commercial, like a cafeteria tray. Use お盆 for home settings and トレー for restaurants or fast food.
盆 without the honorific お can sound blunt or old-fashioned. Stick to お盆 in everyday conversation.
The kaiseki dishes were arranged on a wooden tray.
I bought a tray for accessories.