Translation guide
The English word "sheet" covers several distinct physical objects and concepts. This guide organizes them by meaning, from the most common everyday uses (bedding, paper) to more specialized ones (sail, geological layer).
The cloth covering for a mattress or bedding.
The most common word for a bed sheet, typically a fitted or flat sheet used in Western-style bedding.
シーツを洗濯した。
I washed the sheets.
新しいシーツを買った。
I bought new sheets.
Literally 'spread cloth', a more traditional Japanese term for a sheet laid on a futon or mattress. Less common in daily conversation.
敷布を敷いてから布団をかける。
Lay down the sheet before putting on the futon.
A single piece of paper, often of a standard size.
The counter for flat objects like paper. Use with a number: 一枚 (いちまい) = one sheet.
紙を一枚ください。
Please give me one sheet of paper.
この書類は全部で三枚です。
This document is three sheets in total.
Refers to a sheet of paper intended for a specific purpose, like a form or blank sheet.
A broad, thin piece of metal, glass, plastic, etc.
General word for a board or plate; can be used for sheets of rigid material like metal or glass.
鉄の板を切る。
Cut a sheet of iron.
Loanword for a thin, flexible sheet of material like plastic, rubber, or film.
ビニールシートを敷く。
Spread out a plastic sheet.
A large piece of fabric used to catch wind and propel a boat.
A broad, flat mass or layer, as in geology.
Means 'layer' or 'stratum', used for geological sheets.
氷の層が湖を覆っている。
A sheet of ice covers the lake.
Can also be used for a sheet of ice or rock, especially in compound terms like 氷床 (ひょうしょう, ice sheet).
Describing something that covers an area thinly and evenly, like rain or fog.
Pattern meaning 'a sheet of ~' or 'a blanket of ~', used for things that cover a surface.
一面の霧で何も見えない。
A sheet of fog hides everything.
When counting sheets of paper, use the counter 枚 (まい) instead of a direct translation of 'sheet'. Saying '一枚の紙' is natural, while 'シートの紙' is not.
Please fill out the application sheet.
The ice sheet is melting.