Translation guide
The English word "anchor" has several distinct meanings, from a physical device for boats to a metaphorical source of stability, a news presenter, and more. This guide covers the most common uses for learners.
The heavy object used to keep a boat or ship in place.
The standard word for a ship's anchor. Used in both technical and everyday contexts.
船は港に錨を下ろした。
The ship dropped anchor in the harbor.
錨を上げて出航する。
Weigh anchor and set sail.
Loanword from English, commonly used in sailing and marine contexts, especially in compound terms.
アンカーを巻き上げる。
Hoist the anchor.
A person or thing that provides stability, security, or emotional support.
Means 'support' or 'pillar'. Often used for a person who provides emotional or psychological stability.
彼女は家族の支えだ。
She is the anchor of the family.
彼の存在が私の心の支えになっている。
His presence is an emotional anchor for me.
Literally 'the rope one relies on'. An idiomatic expression for a last resort or sole source of support, similar to 'lifeline' or 'anchor'.
The main presenter of a news program who coordinates reports.
Short for 'newscaster'. The standard term for a news anchor in Japanese.
彼は人気のニュースキャスターだ。
He is a popular news anchor.
Loanword specifically for a male news anchor. Less common than キャスター.
The last runner in a relay race.
The standard term for the anchor leg or anchor runner in track and field.
彼がリレーのアンカーを務めた。
He ran the anchor leg of the relay.
アンカーにバトンを渡す。
Pass the baton to the anchor.
The clickable text in a hyperlink.
Technical term used in web development and SEO.
アンカーテキストを適切に設定する。
Set the anchor text appropriately.
More general term for link text, often used interchangeably with アンカーテキスト.
リンクテキストをクリックしてください。
Please click the anchor text.
A major store in a shopping mall that attracts customers.
Literally 'core tenant'. The standard term in retail and real estate for an anchor store.
そのショッピングモールの核テナントは大型スーパーだ。
The anchor store of that shopping mall is a large supermarket.
Loanword used in business contexts, but 核テナント is more common.
アンカーストアとして出店する。
Open a store as an anchor tenant.
錨 (いかり) is the traditional Japanese word and is used in most contexts. アンカー is a loanword often used in sailing jargon or compound terms like アンカーロープ (anchor rope). For everyday speech, 錨 is preferred.
Do not use 錨 to mean a person who provides emotional stability. It will sound strange. Use 支え or other metaphorical expressions instead.
彼女はつらい時に私の支えになってくれた。
She has been my anchor through tough times.
船は島の近くに錨を下ろした。
The ship dropped anchor near the island.
彼が頼みの綱だ。
He is my anchor (my only hope).
Literally 'central pillar'. Refers to the mainstay or breadwinner of a family. Can be used metaphorically for a central supporting figure.
父は一家の大黒柱だ。
My father is the anchor of the family.
He is the anchor man for that program.
Gender-neutral term for a news anchor. Rarely used; キャスター is preferred.
彼女は経験豊富なアンカーパーソンだ。
She is an experienced anchor person.