ミリメートル
mirimētoru
The English abbreviation 'mm' is translated into Japanese as ミリメートル (mirimētoru).
In a technical or measurement context, ミリメートル refers to the millimeter, a unit of length in the metric system. In informal speech, however, the sound 'mm' (as an interjection) may be expressed differently depending on the intent, such as using まあ to express agreement or hesitation or using えーっと to signify a pause while thinking.
Which one should you use?
The full term is ミリメートル, but the shortened version ミリ is frequently used in casual or technical contexts to mean 'milli'.
How do you pronounce it?
mirimētoru
Did you know?
- The humming 'mm' sound used to show agreement during a conversation is part of a social practice called 相槌 ('aizuchi'). Unlike English listeners who may stay silent, Japanese speakers use these frequent vocal cues to signal they are actively paying attention.
- The Japanese writing system uses the Katakana script for ミリメートル because it is a loanword from a Western language.
- Although 'mm' is a Latin abbreviation, Japanese speakers frequently write the measurement using the katakana characters ミリ. This converts a global symbol into a phonetic representation of the word.
Examples in context
- この紙の厚さは0.1ミリメートルです。Kono kami no atsusa wa rei ten ichi mirimētoru desu.The thickness of this paper is 0.1 millimeters.
- 誤差はわずか数ミリメートルでした。Gosa wa wazuka sū mirimētoru deshita.The error was only a few millimeters.
- ミリメートル単位で測ってください。Mirimētoru tan'i de hakatte kudasai.Please measure in millimeters.
Example conversation
Kenta is measuring a small part for a DIY project.
- 健太 Kentaこの部品のサイズは何ミリメートルですか？Kono buhin no saizu wa nan mirimētoru desu ka?How many millimeters is this part?
- 結衣 Yui5ミリメートルくらいです。Go mirimētoru kurai desu.It is about 5 millimeters.
- 健太 Kenta結衣さん、もっと正確に測れますか？Yui-san, motto seikaku ni hakaremasu ka?Yui, can you measure it more accurately?
- 結衣 Yuiはい、測ってみます。Hai, hakattemimasu.Yes, I will try to measure it.
