Translation guide
The English word 'damage' covers physical harm, injury, negative effects, and loss. In Japanese, different words are used depending on what is damaged and the nature of the damage.
Express that something is broken, scratched, dented, or otherwise physically harmed.
General word for a scratch, cut, flaw, or injury on a surface or body. Often used for visible damage.
The car got scratched.
この机には傷がある。
This desk has a scratch.
Damage involving breakage or destruction, often used for items, machinery, or in formal contexts like reports.
輸送中に破損した。
It was damaged during shipping.
破損した部品を交換する。
Replace the damaged parts.
Injury or damage, often used for vehicles, buildings, or body parts. Slightly formal.
建物に大きな損傷はなかった。
There was no major damage to the building.
Loanword from English, used for damage in a broad sense, including physical, emotional, or in gaming contexts.
台風で家にダメージを受けた。
The house was damaged by the typhoon.
Express that someone is hurt, injured, or suffers bodily harm.
Injury, wound. The most common word for personal injury.
彼は事故でけがをした。
He was injured in an accident.
大したけがではありません。
It's not a serious injury.
Damage or loss, often used in legal, financial, or disaster contexts. Can refer to harm to people or property.
Injury, especially in legal or medical contexts. Often used in terms like 傷害罪 (assault).
Express that reputation, health, environment, or a situation is negatively affected.
Bad influence, adverse effect. Commonly used for abstract harm.
喫煙は健康に悪影響を及ぼす。
Smoking has a negative effect on health.
その事件は会社の評判に悪影響を与えた。
The incident damaged the company's reputation.
Damage suffered, harm. Used for victims of crime, disasters, or negative effects.
Also used for abstract damage, like emotional damage or damage to one's image.
Verb meaning to harm, damage, or impair something abstract like health, mood, or trust.
Express monetary loss, expenses incurred due to damage, or compensation.
Financial damage or loss. Often used in insurance and legal contexts.
損害保険に入る。
Take out damage insurance.
損害額は100万円です。
The amount of damage is one million yen.
Loss, especially financial or material. Used in business contexts.
Express hit points, damage dealt, or system damage.
Standard term in video games for damage points or harm to characters.
この武器はダメージが高い。
This weapon has high damage.
敵に大ダメージを与えた。
Dealt massive damage to the enemy.
Used in technical or mechanical contexts, like damage to a machine or system.
傷 (kizu) is for scratches, cuts, or minor flaws. 破損 (hason) implies breakage or destruction. 損傷 (sonshō) is a formal term for injury or damage, often used in reports.
傷は浅い。
The scratch is shallow.
破損した窓ガラス。
Broken window glass.
車両の損傷を調べる。
Inspect the damage to the vehicle.
While ダメージ is widely understood, it can sound unnatural in formal or traditional contexts. For physical damage to objects, use 傷 or 破損; for financial loss, use 損害.
✕ 机にダメージがある。
Unnatural for a scratch on a desk.
○ 机に傷がある。
Natural: The desk has a scratch.
被害者に損害賠償を請求する。
Claim damages from the perpetrator.
傷害事件が発生した。
An assault case occurred.
The damage from the typhoon was extensive.
彼は詐欺の被害にあった。
He fell victim to fraud.
彼の評判にダメージを与えた。
It damaged his reputation.
健康を損なう。
Damage one's health.
信用を損なう行為。
An act that damages trust.
会社は大きな損失を出した。
The company suffered a huge loss.
システムに損傷が発生した。
The system was damaged.