Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| お知らせ | oshirase | [o̞ɕiɾa̠se̞] (narrow) |
| 発表 | happyō | [ha̠p̚ʲpʲo̞ː] (narrow) |
| 公告 | kōkoku |
In Japanese, the choice of word for 'announcement' depends on whether you are sharing general news, presenting research or issuing a legal notice. お知らせ is used for general notices and information being shared with a group, like school or store announcements. 発表 refers to a formal declaration, a public presentation or the unveiling of new information such as a product or research finding. 公告 is reserved for official public notices, such as those from government agencies.
Which one should you use?
お知らせ is used for general notices, news or information being shared with a group, such as a store notice or a school announcement. 発表 is used for a formal declaration, a public presentation or the unveiling of new information like a product or a research finding. 公告 is a highly formal term used specifically for official public notices, such as those issued by government agencies or in legal contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
oshirase
Did you know?
- If you see the word 発表 in a musical context, it does not mean an announcement, but refers to the 'performance' or 'debut' of a new piece.
- While 公告 is for government notices, a similar-sounding word 広告 refers to commercial advertisements.
- The noun 知らせ (shirase), which forms the base of お知らせ, can also be used poetically to mean 'a sign' or 'a portent' of something coming.
Examples in context
- 発表会はサプライズで沸き立った。The announcement was a surprise and very exciting.This sentence shows how to use 発表 in the context of an exciting event.Tatoeba #11040897 by bunbuku, translation #11694756 by pip
- 私達はその発表に注意を払うべきだった。We should have paid attention to the announcement.This sentence demonstrates the use of 発表 when discussing paying attention to an announcement.Tatoeba #151763 by tommy__san, translation #248150 by CC
- 今日はとても残念なお知らせがあります。I have a very unfortunate announcement to make today.This sentence illustrates how to use お知らせ when sharing unfortunate news.Tatoeba #3164607 by tommy_san, translation #10088558 by tsp_2
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a community center, Hiyori is checking the notice board.
- 陽葵 Himari健太さん、あのお知らせを見ましたか？Kenta-san, ano oshirase o mimashita ka?Kenta, did you see that announcement?
- 健太 Kentaいえ、まだ見ていません。Ie, mada mite imasen.No, I haven't seen it yet.
- 陽葵 Himariイベントの時間が変更になったみたいですよ。Ibento no jikan ga henkou ni natta mitai desu yo.It looks like the event time has changed.
- 健太 Kentaそれは大変ですね。すぐ確認します。Sore wa taihen desu ne. Sugu kakunin shimasu.That's a problem. I'll check it right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “announcement” translations and entries お知らせ, 発表, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
