私有
shiyū[ɕijɯ̟ː]
The English word 'private' can be translated into Japanese as 私有 (shiyū) or プライベート.
Meaning: belonging to, concerning, or accessible only to an individual person or a specific group (adj)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 私有 | shiyū | [ɕijɯ̟ː] (narrow) |
| プライベート | puraibēto | [pɯ̟ɾa̠ibe̞ːto̞] (narrow) |
The term used depends on whether you are talking about legal ownership or personal matters. Use 私有 to describe something that belongs to an individual or a specific group. If you are referring to a person's personal life, affairs or a non-public matter, you may use プライベート or other terms depending on the context.
Which one should you use?
Use 私有 when referring specifically to the legal or physical ownership of property. In contrast, use プライベート when referring to someone's personal life or matters.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To use the loanword プライベート as an adjective to modify a noun, add な (na) to the end of the word, forming プライベートな.
How do you pronounce it?
shiyū
Did you know?
- Japanese people often use the phrase プライベートで (puraibēto de) to signal that they are speaking to someone as a friend rather than as a professional colleague.
- In Japan, the concept of 'private' is often split between 公 (kō), meaning public, and 私 (shi), meaning private, which governs strict social boundaries in workplace etiquette.
- If you are talking about a 'private' or 'personal' room in a house, Japanese people rarely use プライベートな部屋, preferring instead terms like 個室 (koshitsu) for a 'private room'.
Examples in context
- 俺のプライベートに口を出すな。Don't poke your nose into my private life.This sentence is useful for telling someone not to interfere in your private life using プライベート.Tatoeba #10219291 by small_snow, translation #4918025 by gcaplan
- 彼は誰にも彼のプライベートなことに口出しさせなかった。He wouldn't let anybody interfere with his private affairs.This sentence shows someone preventing interference in their private affairs using プライベート.Tatoeba #1152255 by bunbuku, translation #301401 by CK
- プライベートの話をするTo talk about private affairsThis sentence shows the phrase for talking about private affairs using プライベート.
- 非公開の会議に参加します。I will attend a private meeting.
- 個人的な問題について話し合いましょう。Let's discuss the private issue/personal problem.
- 今日はプライベートな時間を過ごします。Today, I will spend some private time.
- これは内緒にしておきましょう。Let's keep this a secret.
- お前の隠し事、バレてるよ。I know your secret.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daigaku and Yui are talking about a piece of land near the station.
- 大翔 Hirotoここは私有地だから、入っちゃダメだよ。Koko wa shiyūchi dakara, haitcha dame dayo.This is private land, so you can't go in.
- 結衣 Yuiえっ、本当に私有地なの？E, hontō ni shiyūchi nano?Eh, is it really private land?
- 大翔 Hirotoうん、看板に書いてあるよ。Un, kanban ni kaite aru yo.Yeah, it's written on the sign.
- 結衣 Yui分かった。気を付けるね。Wakatta. Ki o tsukeru ne.I understand. I'll be careful.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “private” translations and entries 私有, プライベート, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR, Wiktionary CC BY-SA 4.0.
