カプセル

• Reading: カプセル
• Romaji: kapuseru
• Pronunciation: /ka.pɯ.se.ɾɯ/

Meaning

Capsule; a small sealed container, especially for medicine or enclosing something.

A katakana loanword from English 'capsule.' Used for medicine capsules, space capsules, capsule hotels (カプセルホテル), and time capsules. The word appears in many compound expressions in modern Japanese life.

Examples

1. この薬はカプセルなので水と一緒に飲んでください。 This medicine comes in capsule form, so please take it with water.
2. 出張で安いカプセルホテルに泊まった。 I stayed at a cheap capsule hotel during my business trip.
3. 小学校の卒業式でタイムカプセルを埋めた。 We buried a time capsule at our elementary school graduation ceremony.

Usage Guide

Context: medicine, travel, science

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From English 'capsule,' derived from Latin 'capsula' meaning small box. Adopted into Japanese primarily through medical and later cultural contexts.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal