スカイライン
sukairain[sɨ̥ka̠iɾa̠ĩɴ]
The English phrase "skyline" can be translated into Japanese as スカイライン (sukairain) or 地平線.
Meaning: silhouette against city or buildings (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| スカイライン | sukairain | [sɨ̥ka̠iɾa̠ĩɴ] (narrow) |
| 地平線 | chiheisen | [t͡ɕihe̞ːsẽ̞ɴ] (narrow) |
スカイライン (sukairain) is used to describe the silhouette of a city or its buildings. It is the preferred term in modern contexts such as photography, urban planning or when discussing the aesthetic shape of a city's architecture.
Which one should you use?
スカイライン refers specifically to a skyline or the silhouette of buildings, whereas 地平線 (chiheisen) refers to the literal horizon where the earth meets the sky.
How do you pronounce it?
sukairain
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the word スカイライン (sukairain) is a famous automotive icon due to the Nissan Skyline, a legendary series of sports cars. For many Japanese people, the word may trigger thoughts of high-performance engines before cityscapes.
- While 地平線 means 'horizon', the word for a skyline over the ocean is 水平線 (suiheisen), which literally translates to 'water-level line'.
- While スカイライン (sukairain) is a direct loanword from English, it is often used in Japanese advertising and design to imply a sense of 'modernity' or 'Western-style urbanism' rather than just describing a view.
Examples in context
- 美しいスカイラインが見える。utsukushii sukairain ga mieru.I can see a beautiful skyline.
- 夜のスカイラインはとても綺麗だ。yoru no sukairain wa totemo kirei da.The night skyline is very beautiful.
- このビルはスカイラインの一部だ。kono biru wa sukairain no ichibu da.This building is part of the skyline.
Example conversation
Yui and Kenta are looking at the city view from a rooftop.
- 結衣 Yui見て、ここからのスカイラインは最高ね。mite, koko kara no sukairain wa saikou ne.Look, the skyline from here is the best.
- 健太 Kenta本当だ。ビルがたくさんあってすごいな。hontou da. biru ga takusan atte sugoi na.You're right. It's amazing with so many buildings.
- 結衣 Yui写真に撮っておこうよ。shashin ni totte okou yo.Let's take a photo of it.
- 健太 Kentaいい考えだ。健太が撮るよ。ii kangae da. kenta ga toru yo.Good idea. Kenta will take it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “skyline” translations and entries スカイライン, 地平線, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
