Translation guide
The English word "ridge" refers to a long, narrow raised line or area. In Japanese, the translation depends on what kind of ridge you mean: a mountain ridge, the ridge of a roof, a ridge on a surface, or a ridge in anatomy or geology.
A long, narrow chain of hills or mountains; the line along the top of a mountain range.
mountain ridge · ridge line · ridge walk
The most common word for a mountain ridge. Used in hiking, geography, and everyday conversation.
あの尾根を登りましょう。
Let's climb that ridge.
尾根伝いに歩く。
Walk along the ridge.
A more technical or literary term for a mountain ridge line, often used in mountaineering or poetic descriptions.
稜線が美しい山だ。
It's a mountain with a beautiful ridge line.
Literally 'mountain's back', a poetic or descriptive term for a ridge. Not commonly used in everyday speech.
山の背を歩く。
Walk along the mountain's back.
The horizontal line at the top of a roof where two sloping sides meet.
The standard term for the ridge of a roof. Also used for the ridge of a building in general.
屋根の棟に鳥が止まっている。
A bird is perched on the roof ridge.
棟瓦を修理する。
Repair the ridge tiles.
Specifically the main ridge of a roof, often used in architecture or traditional Japanese carpentry.
A raised line or strip on a flat surface, like the ridges on a coin, a washboard, or a textured grip.
A general term for a raised line or ridge on a surface. Used in technical contexts like geology, biology, or manufacturing.
このコインの縁には隆起線がある。
This coin has ridges on its edge.
Refers to a ridge in a field (furrow) or a wavy ridge pattern, like corrugation or ribbing. Also used for the ridges of a washboard or textured surface.
A line or stripe; can refer to a ridge-like line, such as muscle striations or grain in wood. More general than '隆起線'.
木の筋に沿って切る。
Cut along the grain (ridges) of the wood.
A ridge on a bone or body part, such as the brow ridge or alveolar ridge.
An elongated area of high atmospheric pressure.
Literally 'high-pressure ridge'. The standard meteorological term.
高気圧の尾根が張り出している。
A ridge of high pressure is extending.
Loanword from English, used in weather forecasts and technical discussions.
リッジが接近中。
A ridge is approaching.
Both mean mountain ridge, but 尾根 (おね) is the everyday word, while 稜線 (りょうせん) is more technical or literary. Use 尾根 in casual hiking talk; use 稜線 in mountaineering reports or poetic descriptions.
尾根 is only for natural mountain ridges. For the ridge of a roof, use 棟 (むね). Using 尾根 for a roof ridge would sound very strange.
Attach decorative tiles to the main ridge.