Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 建てる | tateru | [ta̠te̞ɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 築く | kizuku | [kʲizɨkɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 建設する | kensetsu suru | |
| 構築する | kōchiku suru |
The term for building varies based on whether you are constructing a physical structure, an abstract concept or a technical system. Most forms refer to the act of forming something by combining materials or parts.
Which one should you use?
Japanese uses different verbs to distinguish between the types of things being built. Use 建てる to refer to building physical, upright structures such as houses or towers. Use 築く for building abstract things like relationships or trust, or massive physical structures like walls or embankments. For large-scale civil engineering or construction projects like bridges or dams, use 建設する. When building complex systems, networks or theoretical frameworks, use 構築する. In a technical computing context, the katakana word ビルド is used specifically to refer to a software build.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
tateru
Did you know?
- The verb 築く is a cognate of the verb 突く, which means 'to poke' or 'to strike'. This reflects the ancient connection to the physical striking of materials during construction.
- The verb 築く is thought to have originally described the act of using a mallet or pestle to pile up materials. This connects the modern idea of building to the ancient physical action of pounding earth or stone into place.
Examples in context
- ネザーポータルを建てるには何がいるの？What do you need to build a nether portal?This sentence is useful for asking about the requirements for building a nether portal using 建てる.Tatoeba #10066290 by small_snow, translation #10059220 by DJ_Saidez
- その遊園地を建設するのに１０年かかった。It took ten years to build the amusement park.This sentence is useful for describing the time taken to build an amusement park using 建設する.Tatoeba #206281 by bunbuku, translation #43527 by CK
- 年末までに30件の家を建てることが目標です。Our goal is to build thirty houses before the end of the year.This sentence is useful for stating a goal to build a certain number of houses using 建てる.Tatoeba #9736288 by Ninja, translation #9736033 by CK
- ビルを建てるTo build a building
- 家を建てるTo build a house
- 道路を建設するTo build a road
- 空港を建設するTo build an airport
- この辺に家を建てるんだよI'm gonna build a house around here.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Yota are talking about their future plans.
- 美咲 Misakiいつか大きな家を建てたいです。Itsuka ookina ie o tatetai desu.I want to build a big house someday.
- 陽太 Yotaいいですね。どこに建てるつもりですか？Ii desu ne. Doko ni tateru tsumori desu ka?That's nice. Where do you plan to build it?
- 美咲 Misaki静かな田舎に建てたいと思っています。Shizukana inaka ni tatetai to omotte imasu.I'm thinking I want to build it in a quiet countryside.
- 陽太 Yotaそれは最高ですね！Sore wa saikou desu ne!That sounds wonderful!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “build” translations and entries 建てる, 築く, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 築く, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
