Translation guide
How to express the idea of 'targeting' in Japanese, from marketing and advertising to aiming at a specific person or group.
Selecting a specific audience or demographic for a campaign or product.
Direct loanword from English, widely used in business and marketing contexts.
この広告は若年層をターゲティングしています。
This advertisement is targeting young people.
Literally 'narrow down the target', meaning to focus on a specific segment.
ターゲットを絞って広告を配信する。
Deliver ads by narrowing down the target.
Formal expression meaning 'to select a target audience'. Used in reports or proposals.
マーケティング戦略では、まず対象を選定する必要がある。
In marketing strategy, you first need to select the target audience.
Directing attention, criticism, or action toward a specific person or group.
General verb meaning 'to aim at' or 'to target'. Can be used for both positive and negative intentions.
彼は新人を狙っていじめている。
He is targeting the new employee for bullying.
このサービスは高齢者を狙っている。
This service is targeting elderly people.
Literally 'make into a target'. Often used when someone is singled out, sometimes with a negative connotation.
彼はよく冗談の標的にされる。
He is often targeted for jokes.
Casual loanword usage, common in spoken Japanese.
あの子、完全にターゲットにされてるよ。
That kid is totally being targeted.
Aiming a weapon or missile at a specific objective.
Noun meaning 'aim' or 'sighting'. Used in technical or military contexts.
ミサイルの照準システムが故障した。
The missile's targeting system malfunctioned.
Literally 'set one's aim', meaning to take aim carefully.
狙撃手は標的に狙いを定めた。
The sniper targeted the objective.
Using data to show ads to specific users based on behavior or interests.
Standard term for behavioral targeting in digital marketing.
行動ターゲティング広告は、ユーザーの閲覧履歴に基づいて表示されます。
Behavioral targeting ads are displayed based on the user's browsing history.
General phrase for ad targeting.
広告のターゲティング精度を上げる。
Improve the accuracy of ad targeting.
While ターゲティング is common in marketing, using it for everyday situations like 'targeting someone for a prank' can sound unnatural. Use 狙う or 標的にする instead.