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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "controls" in Japanese?
操作
sōsa
In Japanese, "controls" is 操作 (sōsa).
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Pronunciation
操作 is written using kanji. Romanised as sōsa, it sounds roughly like "soh-sah" to an English ear.
Writing and usage
Sōsa is a two-character verb noun meaning to operate or manipulate. The first kanji suggests handling, the second shows action. Common in gaming and device contexts.
Example sentence
操作の横に立ちました。
Sōsa no yoko ni tachimashita.
I stood next to the controls.
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How to remember 操作
Sō (操) looks busy and active with many strokes. Sa (作) is simpler. Busy + action = controlling something.
Related words
- table tennis 卓球 takkyū
- wall 壁 kabe
- cushion クッション kusshon
- history 歴史 rekishi
- archery アーチェリー ācherī
- toothbrush 歯ブラシ haburashi
- terminal ターミナル tāminaru
- console コンソール konsōru
- gum ガム gamu
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about 操作
How do you pronounce 操作?
操作 is romanised as sōsa. Say it roughly like "soh-sah" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.
Is 操作 formal or casual?
操作 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.
How is 操作 written in Japanese?
操作 is written using kanji. Sōsa is a two-character verb noun meaning to operate or manipulate.
Where can I practice Japanese words for free?
You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Controls" in other languages
- Korean 제어 장치 (jeeo jangchi)
- Chinese 控制器 (kòng zhì qì)
- Spanish los controles
- Spanish (Latin America) los controles
- French le boîtier de commandes
- German die Steuerung
- Italian il pannello di controllo
- Russian рычаги управления (ryčagi upravlenija)
- Greek τα κουμπιά (ta kumbia)
- Arabic جهاز تحكم (gihaz tahakum)
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