プロローグ
purorōgu[pɯ̟ɾo̞ɾo̞ːɡɯ̟]
The English word "prologue" can be translated into Japanese as either プロローグ (purorōgu) or 序章.
Meaning: speech or section used as an introduction, especially to a play or novel (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| プロローグ | purorōgu | [pɯ̟ɾo̞ɾo̞ːɡɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 序章 | joshō | [d͡ʑo̞ɕo̞ː] (narrow) |
Both terms refer to a speech or section used as an introduction, particularly to a play or a novel.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 序章 is composed of the characters 序, meaning "preface" or "beginning" and 章, meaning "chapter" or "section".
Which one should you use?
プロローグ is a loanword from English and is commonly used in modern contexts such as movies, games or pop culture.
How does it change in a sentence?
Japanese nouns do not change form for plurality, so プロローグ can mean both "prologue" and "prologues".
How do you pronounce it?
purorōgu
Did you know?
- If you are discussing the 'prologue' of a traditional Japanese way of life or a specific ritual, you might encounter the term 序, which refers to the opening stage of the 'Jo-ha-kyū' structure.
- In the context of a performance, a speaker might use the term 口上, or 'kōjō', which is a more culturally specific way to describe a formal introductory speech than the literal 'prologue'.
- Japanese writers sometimes use 序章 to create a 'time skip' effect, placing the prologue in the future to hook the reader before jumping back to the past.
Examples in context
- 「この小説のプロローグは非常に魅力的ですね。」The prologue of this novel is very captivating, isn't it?
- この小説のプロローグはとても感動的だ。Kono shousetsu no puroroogu wa totemo kandouteki da.The prologue of this novel is very moving.
- 劇のプロローグが始まります。Geki no puroroogu ga hajimarimasu.The prologue of the play is starting.
- プロローグで物語の背景を説明する。Puroroogu de monogatari no haikei o setsumei suru.The prologue explains the background of the story.
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are discussing a book in a library.
- 陽葵 Himari蓮くん、この本を読み始めた？Ren-kun, kono hon o yomihajimeta?Ren, have you started reading this book?
- 蓮 Renうん、でもプロローグで止まっているよ。Un, demo puroroogu de tomatte iru yo.Yeah, but I'm still stuck on the prologue.
- 陽葵 Himariプロローグが難しいのかな。Puroroogu ga muzukashii no kana.I wonder if the prologue is difficult.
- 蓮 Ren内容が複雑で時間がかかるよ。Naiyou ga fukuzatsu de jikan ga kakaru yo.The content is complex, so it takes time.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “prologue” translations and entries プロローグ, 序章, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
