パソコン

• Reading: パソコン
• Romaji: pasokon
• Kanji breakdown: From English 'personal computer' → パーソナルコンピューター → abbreviated to パソコン (パソ + コン)
• Pronunciation: /pa.so.ko.n/

Meaning

Abbreviated form of パーソナルコンピューター (pāsonaru konpyūtā, 'personal computer'). The standard everyday word for PC in Japanese.

パソコン has been the default Japanese word for personal computer since the 1980s and is understood by all generations. Like スマホ and コンビニ, it is so thoroughly naturalized that it no longer feels like an abbreviation. It typically refers to desktop or laptop computers, distinct from スマホ (smartphone) or タブレット (tablet). The further abbreviation PC (ピーシー) is also used but less common in casual speech.

Examples

1. パソコンがフリーズして全部データ消えた、最悪。 My computer froze and all the data got wiped — worst day ever.
2. そのファイルパソコンに入ってるから後で送るね。 That file's on my computer, so I'll send it to you later.
3. 新しいパソコン買ったんだけどサクサク動いて最高。 I got a new computer and it runs super smooth — it's the best.

Usage Guide

Context: daily conversation, work, school, all contexts

Tone: neutral, everyday

Do Say

• パソコン貸してもらっていい？ (Can I borrow your computer?)
• パソコンで作業したほうが早いよ。 (It's faster to work on a computer.)

Don't Say

• 技術文書では正式名称を使うこともある (In technical documentation, the full term or 'PC' may be more appropriate)

Common Mistakes

• Using パソコン to refer to smartphones or tablets — it specifically means desktop/laptop computers

Origin & History

Abbreviated from パーソナルコンピューター (pāsonaru konpyūtā, 'personal computer'). Has been the standard term since personal computers entered Japanese households in the 1980s-1990s.

Cultural Context

Era: 1980s-1990s, with the personal computer boom

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. One of the oldest and most established Japanese abbreviations for technology.