ボット
botto[bo̞t̚to̞]
The English word "bot" is translated into Japanese as ボット (botto). Wiktionary also lists ロボット (robotto).
Meaning: a piece of software for doing repetitive tasks (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| ボット | botto | [bo̞t̚to̞] (narrow) |
| ロボット | robotto | [ɾo̞bo̞t̚to̞] (narrow) |
ボット is a loanword from English written in Katakana used to describe a piece of software or a script designed to perform repetitive tasks.
Which one should you use?
Use ボット (botto) specifically when referring to software programs or digital scripts. In contrast, ロボット (robotto) is used to refer to physical robotic machines.
How do you pronounce it?
botto
Did you know?
- The word ロボット originates from the Czech word 'robota', which actually means 'forced labor' or 'drudgery', a much heavier connotation than the English 'robot'.
- In Japanese, the word ロボット is often shortened to ロボ (robo) in casual conversation or when naming robotic characters.
- The phonetic structure of ロボット relies on the heavy use of the 'stop' consonant (the small ッ), a rhythmic feature that does not exist in the original English word.
Examples in context
- 友達にボットを使っているゲームを教えてもらいました。I learned about a game that uses bots from my friend.
- 新しいロボットが発売されたんだよ。A new bot has been released!
- このボットはとても便利です。Kono botto wa totemo benri desu.This bot is very useful.
- 自動で返信するボットを作りました。Jidou de henshin suru botto o tsukurimashita.I made a bot that replies automatically.
- ボットがエラーを起こしています。Botto ga eraa o okoshite imasu.The bot is causing an error.
Example conversation
Hiyori and Yota are talking about a chat app.
- 陽葵 Himariこのボットはどうやって使うの？Kono botto wa dō yatte tsukau no?How do you use this bot?
- 陽太 Yotaここにコマンドを入力してね。Koko ni komando o nyūryoku shite ne.Just enter the command here.
- 陽葵 Himariすごい！すぐに返事が来たよ。Sugoi! Sugu ni henji ga kita yo.Wow! I got a reply immediately.
- 陽太 Yotaボットだから速いんだよ。Botto dakara hayai n da yo.It's fast because it's a bot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bot” translations and entries ボット, ロボット, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ボット, ロボット, CC BY-SA 4.0.
