パンデミック
pandemikku[pã̠nde̞mʲik̚kɯ̟]
The English phrase pandemic can be translated into Japanese as パンデミック (pandemikku) or 汎流行.
Meaning: disease that affects a wide geographical area and a large proportion of the population (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| パンデミック | pandemikku | [pã̠nde̞mʲik̚kɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 汎流行 | hanryūkō |
The term refers to a disease that affects a wide geographical area and a large proportion of the population. The loanword パンデミック is frequently used to talk about the global scope of the COVID-19 situation.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The katakana form パンデミック is the most common way to say 'pandemic' in daily conversation and news media.
How do you pronounce it?
pandemikku
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the concept of a pandemic is often discussed alongside 自粛 'jishuku', a word meaning 'self-restraint'. This term became a social imperative during the pandemic, urging people to stay home without a formal legal lockdown.
- In some historical contexts, the word 疫病 (ekibyō) was used to describe great plagues, a term that feels much more archaic and 'dark' than the modern パンデミック.
- The term パンデミック entered common Japanese usage long before 2020, appearing frequently in Japanese translations of disaster novels and sci-fi cinema to describe global catastrophes.
Examples in context
- パンデミックって何？What's a pandemic?This sentence is useful for asking for a definition of パンデミック.Tatoeba #9696331 by small_snow, translation #9477501 by shekitten
- エピデミックとパンデミックって、何が違うの？What's the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic?This sentence is useful for asking about the difference between an epidemic and パンデミック.Tatoeba #10099888 by small_snow, translation #10098010 by CK
- 最近、新たな流行病が世界中で広がっています。Lately, a new pandemic is spreading worldwide.
- この大流行は本当に困った状況だ。This pandemic is a really troublesome situation.
- パンデミックの影響は深刻です。Pandemikku no eikyou wa shinkoku desu.The impact of the pandemic is serious.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two siblings are discussing a news report about global health.
- 陽太 Yota新しいパンデミックが来るかもしれないよ。Atarashii pandemikku ga kuru kamo shirenai yo.A new pandemic might be coming.
- 陽葵 Himari本当に心配だね。Hontou ni shinpai da ne.I'm really worried.
- 陽太 Yota陽葵は対策を考えている？Himari wa taisaku o kangaete iru?Are you thinking about countermeasures, Himari?
- 陽葵 Himari準備をしておくつもりだよ。Junbi o shite oku tsumori da yo.I intend to be prepared.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pandemic” translations and entries パンデミック, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
