Translation guide
How to express 'remnants' in Japanese, covering physical leftovers, traces, ruins, and abstract vestiges.
Referring to leftover parts of something physical, such as food, materials, or objects.
General term for leftovers or remains of something. Commonly used for food, time, or quantity.
昨日の残りを食べた。
I ate yesterday's leftovers.
残りは冷蔵庫に入れてください。
Please put the leftovers in the fridge.
Refers to wreckage, debris, or ruins, often after destruction. More dramatic than 残り.
事故の残骸が道路に散らばっていた。
The remnants of the accident were scattered on the road.
Often used for surplus or excess, but can mean remnants in the sense of what is left over.
布の余りで小物を作った。
I made small items with the remnants of the cloth.
Referring to abstract or intangible remains, such as customs, feelings, or evidence of something that existed.
Traces or lingering signs of something that is gone, often with a nostalgic nuance. Common in phrases like 名残惜しい (reluctant to part).
古い町並みに昔の名残がある。
There are remnants of the old townscape.
彼の言葉には怒りの名残があった。
There was a trace of anger in his words.
Marks, traces, or evidence left behind. Often used in formal or investigative contexts.
Relics or artifacts from the past, often archaeological or historical.
Referring to the physical remains of buildings or constructions.
Ruins, abandoned buildings or structures. Conveys a sense of desolation.
その廃墟はかつての城の名残だ。
Those ruins are remnants of a former castle.
Archaeological site or historical ruins. More formal and specific than 廃墟.
Referring to the rest or remainder of something, often in a numerical or collective sense.
Remaining part or leftover portion, often used in inventory or formal contexts.
残部は倉庫に保管されている。
The remnants are stored in the warehouse.
Can also mean the remainder of a quantity, similar to 残り but often for surplus.
残り is for concrete leftovers (food, time, objects), while 名残 is for abstract traces or lingering feelings of something past. Use 残り for 'leftover pizza' and 名残 for 'remnants of a bygone era'.
ピザの残りを食べた。
I ate the leftover pizza.
昭和の名残を感じる喫茶店。
A café that retains remnants of the Showa era.
Direct translations like 残り物 (leftover items) can sound awkward in some contexts. Choose the word that matches the nuance: physical leftovers, traces, ruins, etc.
犯人の痕跡は見つからなかった。
No traces of the culprit were found.
These relics are remnants of an ancient civilization.
The Roman ruins evoke remnants of ancient times.
The remnants of the budget will be carried over to next month.