Translation guide
The English word 'litter' has several distinct meanings. This guide covers the most common ones for learners: trash left in public, a group of newborn animals, the material used in pet toilets or animal bedding, and a stretcher for carrying people. It also notes less common meanings like scattered objects and a historical sedan chair.
Express the idea of trash, garbage, or discarded items that are left in streets, parks, or other public areas.
The most common and general word for trash or garbage. When used in context, it can refer to litter, but it doesn't inherently mean 'littered trash'. Often combined with verbs like 捨てる (throw away) or 落ちている (be dropped).
公園にゴミを捨てないでください。
Please don't litter in the park.
道にゴミが落ちている。
There's litter on the street.
Specifically refers to the act of littering, especially casually tossing trash on the ground. Often used in anti-littering campaigns.
ポイ捨てはやめましょう。
Let's stop littering.
タバコのポイ捨てに罰金が科せられます。
You can be fined for littering cigarette butts.
Literally 'scattered trash'. A more formal or descriptive term often used in official contexts or reports about littering.
海岸の散乱ゴミが問題になっている。
Litter on the beaches has become a problem.
Refer to a group of baby animals born to the same mother at the same time, such as kittens, puppies, or piglets.
The most direct translation for a litter of animals. 一腹 means 'one belly/birth', and 子 means 'offspring'. It is used for animals like cats, dogs, pigs, etc.
うちの猫が一腹の子を産んだ。
Our cat had a litter of kittens.
その犬は一腹に6匹の子犬を産んだ。
The dog gave birth to a litter of six puppies.
Simply 'offspring' or 'young'. In context, it can mean a litter, but it's less specific. Often used with counters like 匹 (for small animals).
猫が子を産んだ。
The cat had kittens (a litter).
Literally 'same-belly offspring'. Emphasizes that the animals are from the same litter. More technical or precise.
この子犬たちは同腹の子です。
These puppies are from the same litter.
Refer to the absorbent material used in a cat's litter box or as bedding for small animals like hamsters or rabbits.
Specifically 'cat litter'. The standard term for the granular material used in a cat's toilet box.
猫砂を買わなきゃ。
I need to buy cat litter.
この猫砂は固まるタイプです。
This cat litter is the clumping type.
Literally 'toilet sand'. A broader term that can refer to litter for various small pets, but most commonly used for cats.
ウサギのトイレ砂を交換する。
I change the rabbit's litter.
General term for bedding material for animals, such as wood shavings or paper. Not specifically for toilets, but for the floor of a cage.
ハムスターの敷き材を新しいのに替えた。
I changed the hamster's litter (bedding).
Refer to a device for carrying a sick or injured person, typically consisting of a frame with a canvas or other material.
The standard word for a stretcher used in medical or rescue contexts.
救急隊員が担架で患者を運んだ。
The paramedics carried the patient on a stretcher.
Describe a messy scattering of things, such as papers, clothes, or leaves, often implying disorder.
A verb phrase meaning 'is messy/cluttered'. Describes a state where things are scattered about. Not a direct noun for 'litter', but used to describe the situation.
部屋が散らかっている。
The room is littered with stuff. / The room is a mess.
Noun meaning 'dispersion' or 'scattering'. Often used in compounds like 散乱ゴミ (scattered trash) or to describe a state of disorder.
書類が床に散乱している。
Papers are littered all over the floor.
Refer to a covered chair carried on poles by people, used in the past for transportation.
A traditional Japanese palanquin or sedan chair. This is a historical term and not used in modern contexts except in historical dramas or descriptions.
昔、お姫様は駕籠に乗って移動した。
In the old days, princesses traveled by litter (palanquin).
In English, 'litter' specifically means trash that has been improperly discarded in public places. The Japanese word ゴミ (garbage) is broader. To emphasize the act of littering, use ポイ捨て or phrases like ゴミを捨てる (throw away trash) with a location such as 道に (on the street).
English distinguishes between 'litter' (trash in public places), 'trash' (general waste, often dry), and 'garbage' (often wet/kitchen waste). Japanese ゴミ covers all of these. Context and additional words clarify the meaning.
Loanword from English 'stretcher'. Commonly used in hospitals and by emergency services.
ストレッチャーを用意してください。
Please prepare a stretcher.