Translation guide
A room below ground level, typically used for storage. In Japanese, the most common equivalent is 地下室 (chikashitsu), but other terms exist depending on the specific use or structure.
A room below ground level used for storing wine, food, or other items.
General term for a basement or cellar. Used for any underground room, including storage or living spaces.
ワインは地下室に保管しています。
We store the wine in the cellar.
A traditional underground storage room, often for food or sake. Implies a more rustic or old-fashioned cellar.
祖母の家には古い穴蔵があります。
My grandmother's house has an old cellar.
A storage room, which can be underground. More technical and less common for a typical cellar.
この建物には地下に貯蔵室があります。
This building has a storage room in the basement.
A cellar used for storing and aging wine.
Direct loanword for a wine cellar. Commonly used in modern contexts.
彼は自宅にワインセラーを作った。
He built a wine cellar in his house.
More descriptive term for a wine storage room. Slightly more formal.
レストランの地下にはワイン貯蔵庫がある。
There is a wine cellar in the basement of the restaurant.
A cool underground space for storing vegetables, fruits, or preserves.
A traditional storage pit or cellar, often for vegetables. Can be written as 室 or 窖.
冬の間、野菜をむろに保存します。
We store vegetables in the cellar during winter.
Also used for root cellars, especially in rural settings.
地下室 (chikashitsu) is the most common and neutral term for any underground room, including modern basements. 穴蔵 (anagura) implies a traditional, often earthen storage space, while むろ (muro) specifically refers to a storage pit for vegetables or food preservation. Use 地下室 unless you want to emphasize the traditional or specific storage aspect.
新しい家には地下室があります。
The new house has a basement/cellar.
古い農家には穴蔵が残っている。
The old farmhouse still has a traditional cellar.
In English, 'cellar' often implies storage, while 'basement' may be a living space. In Japanese, 地下室 covers both. If you need to specify a living area, you can say 地下の部屋 (chika no heya, underground room) or 地下の居住空間 (chika no kyojū kūkan).
地下室を書斎として使っています。
I use the basement as a study.
地下室は古いワインボトルでいっぱいだ。
The cellar is full of old wine bottles.
彼らはじゃがいもを取りに穴蔵へ降りた。
They went down to the cellar to get some potatoes.
じゃがいもは穴蔵に入れておく。
Keep the potatoes in the cellar.