Translation guide
The English word 'percent' is expressed in Japanese using the word パーセント (pāsento), a loanword from English. It is used after a number to indicate a percentage. In formal or written contexts, the kanji 割 (わり) can be used for tenths (10% = 1割). There are also native Japanese words like 百分率 (ひゃくぶんりつ) for 'percentage' as a concept.
To say 'X percent' in Japanese, attach パーセント after the number.
The standard way to say 'percent' in Japanese. It is a loanword from English and is used in almost all contexts, from casual to formal.
20パーセントの割引があります。
There is a 20 percent discount.
このジュースは果汁100パーセントです。
This juice is 100 percent fruit juice.
The percent sign is commonly used in writing, especially in formal documents, statistics, and signs. It is read as パーセント.
消費税は10％です。
The consumption tax is 10 percent.
Means 'tenth' or '10 percent'. Commonly used in discounts, batting averages, and probabilities. 1割 = 10%, 2割 = 20%, etc. Often used in spoken Japanese for rough percentages.
この商品は3割引です。
This item is 30 percent off.
打率は3割5分です。
His batting average is .350 (35 percent).
A formal term meaning 'percentage'. Used in mathematical or technical contexts, not in everyday conversation.
百分率で表してください。
Please express it as a percentage.
To ask 'what percent?' or 'how many percent?', use 何パーセント.
The standard way to ask 'what percent?'. Place it in a sentence like a noun.
割引は何パーセントですか？
What percent is the discount?
何パーセントの人が賛成しましたか？
What percent of people agreed?
Sometimes 'percent' is used loosely in English to mean a portion. In Japanese, use 割合 (わりあい) or 率 (りつ) for 'rate' or 'ratio'.
Means 'ratio' or 'proportion'. Can be used when 'percent' is meant as a share of a whole.
女性の割合が高いです。
The percentage of women is high.
Suffix meaning 'rate'. Often used in compounds like 成功率 (success rate) or 失業率 (unemployment rate).
失業率は5パーセントです。
The unemployment rate is 5 percent.
パーセント is the direct equivalent of 'percent' and is used in most situations. 割 (わり) means 'tenth' and is common in discounts, batting averages, and informal settings. For example, 20% off can be 20パーセントオフ or 2割引 (にわりびき). Note that 2割引 means 20% off, not 20% of the original price.
割 (わり) means 'tenth' in percentages, but 割合 (わりあい) means 'ratio' or 'proportion'. Saying 割合が高い means 'the proportion is high', not 'the percent is high' (though it can be similar). Use パーセント for specific percentages.
学生のわずか10パーセントが試験に合格した。
Only 10 percent of students passed the exam.
確率は1パーセント未満です。
The probability is less than 1 percent.