Translation guide
The English word 'retention' covers several distinct meanings: keeping something, remembering information, holding back something, and continuing to employ or keep someone. This guide organizes natural Japanese expressions by these practical meanings.
Expressing the act of keeping, maintaining, or not losing something (e.g., customers, heat, moisture, data).
General term for maintaining or retaining something, often used in technical or formal contexts (e.g., data retention, moisture retention).
データの保持期間は1年間です。
The data retention period is one year.
このクリームは肌の水分保持に優れています。
This cream is excellent for retaining skin moisture.
Focuses on sustaining or keeping something at a certain level, often used for customer retention, status quo, or physical conditions.
顧客維持がビジネスの鍵です。
Customer retention is key to business.
Implies possession and keeping, often used for assets, stocks, or qualifications.
当社は多くの特許を保有しています。
Our company retains many patents.
Legal or formal term for withholding or reserving rights, often used in contracts.
権利の留保について明記してください。
Please specify the retention of rights.
Expressing the ability to remember or keep information in memory.
General term for memory or remembering. Can be used as a noun or verb (記憶する).
単語の記憶が苦手です。
I'm not good at vocabulary retention.
睡眠は記憶の定着に重要です。
Sleep is important for memory retention.
Used in cognitive psychology or formal contexts for memory retention.
情報の保持時間を測定する。
Measure the retention time of information.
Everyday phrase meaning 'to remember' or 'to retain in memory'. More natural in conversation than 記憶する.
まだ彼の名前を覚えている。
I still retain his name in memory.
Expressing the act of not releasing or keeping something from moving forward (e.g., water, urine, information).
Used in medical or technical contexts for retaining bodily fluids.
尿閉は尿の保持ができない状態です。
Urinary retention is the inability to retain urine.
Often used for water retention in soil or reservoirs.
Verb meaning to stop or hold back something, often used for attention or emotions.
Expressing the act of keeping employees or members from leaving.
Used in HR contexts for employee retention.
社員の維持が難しい。
Employee retention is difficult.
Verb meaning to persuade someone to stay, often used when someone is about to leave a job.
保持 (ほじ) is general 'retention' of something you have. 維持 (いじ) emphasizes sustaining a state or level. 保有 (ほゆう) stresses possession and is common for assets. For memory, 記憶 (きおく) is more specific than 保持.
Avoid directly translating 'retention' as リテンション in most contexts; it's mainly used as a loanword in business jargon (e.g., リテンション率 for retention rate). For everyday use, choose the appropriate Japanese word based on meaning.
This dam was built for water retention.
彼は怒りを心に留めた。
He retained his anger inside.
会社は彼を引き留めようとした。
The company tried to retain him.