Translation guide
The most common word for refrigerator in Japanese is 冷蔵庫 (れいぞうこ). In casual speech, it is often shortened to 冷蔵 (れいぞう) or even just 庫 (こ) in some contexts. This guide covers the standard term, casual abbreviations, and related expressions.
冷蔵庫
refrigerator
The general word for a refrigerator in any context.
This is the standard, neutral word for refrigerator. It can be used in both formal and informal situations.
冷蔵庫に牛乳を入れてください。
Please put the milk in the refrigerator.
新しい冷蔵庫を買いました。
I bought a new refrigerator.
Informal, everyday speech among friends or family.
A common abbreviation of 冷蔵庫, used in casual conversation. It sounds more relaxed.
冷蔵にビールあるよ。
There's beer in the fridge.
An even shorter, very casual abbreviation. It might be used in very informal settings or as slang, but it's less common and could be ambiguous.
庫、開けっ放しだよ。
The fridge is left open.
Specifically the freezer section of a refrigerator.
This means freezer. It can refer to a separate freezer or the freezer compartment of a refrigerator.
アイスクリームは冷凍庫に入っています。
The ice cream is in the freezer.
Remember that 冷蔵庫 (れいぞうこ) is for refrigeration (above freezing), while 冷凍庫 (れいとうこ) is for freezing. If you need to specify the fridge part of a combination unit, you can say 冷蔵室 (れいぞうしつ).