Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 一般 | ippan | [ip̚pã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
| 全般 | zenpan | [d͡zẽ̞mpã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
| 普通 | futsū | [ɸɯ̟t͡sɨː] (narrow) |
In Japanese, the translation for "general" depends on whether you are referring to the public, an overall range or a common standard. The term 一般 is used when referring to the public, the common or the standard. You can also use the noun 一般人 to refer to an ordinary person or a layperson as opposed to an expert, a celebrity or a professional. If you mean "general" in the sense of a military or political leader, different terms are used, such as the formal 将軍 or 総司令官 or the more colloquial 大将.
Which one should you use?
一般 is used for "general" in the sense of the public or something that is common and standard. This is more formal than 普通. If you want to express "general" in the sense of covering an entire range or being "overall" (such as general knowledge), use 全般.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To use the concept of "general" as an adverb meaning "generally" or "in general", you most commonly add a suffix to 一般 to create 一般的に.
How do you pronounce it?
ippan
Did you know?
- Saying 普通 with a rising intonation can be used as a sarcastic way to say 'obviously' or 'of course'.
- The word 一般 literally translates to 'one sort', suggesting that something 'general' is simply something that belongs to a single, standard type.
- While 一般人 means 'ordinary person', it is used in Japanese media as a specific category to distinguish non-celebrities from the famous.
Examples in context
- 一般に男性は女性よりも足が速い。In general, men run faster than women.This sentence is useful for practicing the adverbial use of 一般.Tatoeba #2239668 by tommy_san, translation #707095 by papabear
- 一般的に、小さな女の子は人形が好きだ。In general, little girls are fond of dolls.This sentence shows how to use 一般 to express a general observation.Tatoeba #190146 by bunbuku, translation #27304 by CS
- 一般的に、子供はアイスクリームが好きだよね。In general, kids like ice cream.This sentence demonstrates the use of 一般 in a common conversational context.Tatoeba #8612268 by small_snow, translation #5151939 by AlanF_US
- 「過去には有名な将軍たちが多くいました。」In the past, there were many famous generals.
- 「彼は総司令官としての能力が認められました。」His abilities as a general have been recognized.
- 「彼は私たちの大将です。」He is our general/leader.
- 「全般的に言えば、その政策は成功だと言えます。」Generally speaking, that policy can be considered successful.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Yota are discussing a new company policy.
- 美咲 Misakiこれは一般のルールですか？Kore wa ippan no rūru desu ka?Is this a general rule?
- 陽太 Yotaはい、社員全員に適用されます。Hai, shain zen'in ni tekiyō saremasu.Yes, it applies to all employees.
- 美咲 Misaki一般の方にも公開していますか？Ippan no kata ni mo kōkai shite imasu ka?Is it open to the general public too?
- 陽太 Yotaいいえ、社内限定です。Iie, shanai gentei desu.No, it is for internal use only.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “general” translations and entries 一般, 全般, 普通, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 一般, 普通, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
