Translation guide
The English word 'trench' can refer to a long narrow ditch, a military trench, a deep ocean trench, or be used figuratively. This guide covers the most common Japanese equivalents for each meaning.
A long, narrow excavation in the ground, often for drainage or laying pipes.
General word for a ditch, gutter, or groove. Can be used for drainage ditches, roadside gutters, or any long narrow depression.
There is a deep ditch on the side of the road.
雨水を流すために溝を掘った。
We dug a trench to drain rainwater.
Specifically a dug channel or canal, often for water transport or drainage. More formal or technical than 溝.
この掘割は江戸時代に作られた。
This trench was built in the Edo period.
Loanword from English, used in technical or construction contexts, or for fashion (trench coat). Not common for everyday ditches.
工事現場にトレンチが掘られている。
A trench is being dug at the construction site.
A long, narrow ditch used by soldiers for protection in warfare.
Standard term for a military trench. Used in historical and modern contexts.
第一次世界大戦では塹壕戦が行われた。
Trench warfare was conducted in World War I.
兵士たちは塹壕の中で夜を明かした。
The soldiers spent the night in the trench.
Synonym for 塹壕, also means military trench. Slightly more literary or formal.
戦場には無数の戦壕が残っていた。
Countless trenches remained on the battlefield.
A deep, elongated depression in the ocean floor.
Scientific term for an ocean trench, such as the Mariana Trench.
マリアナ海溝は世界で最も深い海溝です。
The Mariana Trench is the deepest ocean trench in the world.
Used metaphorically to describe a deep gap, division, or difficult situation.
Literally 'a ditch forms', used figuratively to mean a rift or estrangement develops between people.
意見の相違で二人の間に深い溝ができた。
A deep rift developed between the two due to differences of opinion.
Literally 'to fill a ditch', meaning to bridge a gap or reconcile differences.
両者の溝を埋めるのは容易ではない。
It is not easy to bridge the gap between the two sides.
When using 'trench' metaphorically in English (e.g., 'working in the trenches'), do not directly translate with 塹壕 or トレンチ. Instead, use expressions like 現場で働く (working on the front lines) or 地道な努力 (steady, ground-level effort).