Translation guide
A small, roughly built house or shelter. In Japanese, the most common equivalent is 小屋 (koya), but the best choice depends on the material, purpose, and nuance.
The speaker wants to refer to a small, basic structure, often made of wood or metal, used as a dwelling or storage.
The most general and common word for a small, simple building. It can refer to a shack, hut, cabin, or shed. Neutral in tone.
山の中に小さな小屋を建てた。
I built a small shack in the mountains.
その小屋はトタンでできている。
That shack is made of corrugated iron.
A rough, quickly built shack, often with a negative connotation of being shabby or temporary. Literally 'dug-up shack'.
彼は掘っ立て小屋に住んでいる。
He lives in a shack.
A dilapidated, run-down house or shack. Emphasizes the poor condition. More literary or dramatic.
そのあばら家は今にも倒れそうだ。
That shack looks like it's about to collapse.
The speaker wants to emphasize that the structure is makeshift, temporary, or very basic, often for survival or emergency.
A loanword from English 'barrack', used for a temporary, rough building, often in construction sites or disaster areas. Closest to 'shack' in the sense of a makeshift shelter.
地震の後、人々はバラックで暮らした。
After the earthquake, people lived in shacks.
A temporary hut or shack. The prefix 仮 (kari) means 'temporary'. Used for structures meant to be short-lived.
A phrase meaning 'crude shack'. 粗末 (somatsu) means crude or shoddy. Used when emphasizing the poor quality.
彼は粗末な小屋で一夜を過ごした。
He spent the night in a crude shack.
The speaker wants to convey that someone lives in a shack, implying poverty, poor conditions, or a simple lifestyle.
Same as あばら家 but more common in speech. A run-down shack or hovel. Strongly negative.
あんなあばら屋に住むなんてかわいそうだ。
It's pitiful to live in a shack like that.
A very casual, slightly derogatory term for a shabby shack. ボロ (boro) means 'rag' or 'worn-out'.
彼の家はボロ小屋みたいだ。
His house is like a shack.
Literally 'poor tenement', but can refer to a row of shacks or slum housing. Historical or literary feel.
昔、この辺りは貧乏長屋だった。
Long ago, this area was full of shacks.
The speaker refers to a simple cabin or shack used for leisure, such as a beach hut or mountain lodge.
A mountain hut or cabin. Often used for climbers' shelters or simple lodges. Not necessarily negative.
山小屋に泊まって星空を見た。
We stayed at a mountain shack and watched the starry sky.
A beach shack or beach house, often a temporary structure open during summer. Serves food and rents equipment.
A log cabin or log shack. Loanword from English. Often implies a rustic, recreational dwelling.
The loanword シャック (shakku) is rarely used and may not be understood. Use the Japanese terms above instead.
小屋
shack
小屋 (koya) is the neutral, all-purpose word for a small building. バラック (barakku) specifically means a temporary, rough structure, often post-disaster or at construction sites. あばら屋 (abaraya) emphasizes dilapidation and poverty, and is more negative.
A temporary shack was built at the construction site.
海の家でかき氷を食べた。
I ate shaved ice at the beach shack.
湖畔のログハウスで週末を過ごした。
We spent the weekend at a lakeside shack.