The summer in Japan is very hot and rainy, many end up suffering from heatstroke. A great lifesaver is the Air Conditioner, however, some foreigners who encounter it feel lost with those words completely in japonês. Of course, there are air conditioners of various brands and different types. Knowing the main words written on an air conditioner will help you use it.
Each remote control is different, so it's no use putting a picture here indicating each button. What we can do is present a list of words that are present on the remote controls so you know what each button does.
Japanese | Hiragana | Romaji | Portuguese |
Stop | ていし | 停止 | stop, turn off |
Driving | うんてん | bottom | call, operate |
air conditioning | れいぼう | 冷房 | Air conditioning |
Heating | だんぼう | danbou | Warming Up |
除湿 | じょしつ | joshitsu | dehumidify |
Dry | dorai | dehumidify | |
automatic | じどう | jidou | Automatic |
These are the main basic functions of a Japanese air conditioner. The Dehumidify option is used to save energy; it does not heat the room but reduces the humidity in the air. The automatic option sets the temperature to the standard suggested by the manufacturer.

most complete air conditioning
Some air conditioners have many more functions and settings. Below are some words you may find in these air conditioners or even in heaters:
Japanese | Hiragana | Romaji | Portuguese |
Temperature | おんど | ondo | control temperature |
風向 | ふうこう | fuukou | fan direction |
Menu | menyuu | Menu | |
to advance | すすむ | susumu | advance |
Back | もどる | return | back |
入タイマー | Newcomer | turn on timer | |
切タイマー | setsu taimaa | Stop timer (cut) | |
スイング | swing | Balance Function | |
ハイパワー | haipawaa | High power | |
ランドリー | randoii | laundry mode | |
省パワー | shou pawaa | Energy saving | |
風量切換 | かぜりょうきりかえ | fuuryou kirikae | airflow |
運転切換 | うんてんきりかえ | unten kirikae | airflow |
送風 | そうふう | soufuu | ventilate |
強風 | きょうふう | kyoufuu | strong, tall |
弱風 | じゃくふう | jyakufuu | weak low fan |
微風 | びふう | steak | very low breeze |
静音 | せいおん | seion | silence mode |
Driving | うんてん | bottom | operate, call |
Some of the settings mentioned above can be controlled top-down. The words after airflow usually appear on the screen to show how it is configured.
- A swing function allows the fan to rotate up and down;
- O laundry mode adjust the temperature and humidity to dry your clothes;
- O airflow it can be controlled for low, weak, and silent. You click the button several times to set it to the way you want;
Well, I hope these words help you understand how air conditioning works in Japan. I know it's still necessary for you to have a basic understanding of temperature and how an air conditioner works to know how to set it the way you want. If you have any tips or suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments below.
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