How do you say "controls" in Japanese?

In Japanese, "controls" is 操作 (sōsa). It is a noun pronounced "soh-sah".

Listen to the pronunciation:

Pronunciation

操作 is written in kanji. Romanised as sōsa, it sounds roughly like "soh-sah" to an English ear.

Example sentence

操作の横に立ちました。

Sōsa no yoko ni tachimashita.

I stood next to the controls.

Usage notes

Sōsa (操作) means controls in Japanese. This noun describes a feature or object found in indoor or outdoor environments.

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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. Kanji characters carry the core meaning; any hiragana or katakana that follow show grammatical endings.

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Japanese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation.