meijin
Senior Member
Tokyo
Japanese
- Apr 6, 2018
- #1
In English there is often more than one term to describe the same thing while there is often just one term for it in Japanese. I think the larger plastic bags you use for discarding or disposing of things you no longer need are called "garbage/trash bags" in AmE and "rubbish/bin bags" or "bin liners" in BE. Not sure what they are called in AuE etc. e.g.
Are these terms completely interchangeable (in your country)?
Excuse me, where are <AmE: garbage bags / trash bags> <BE: rubbish bags / bin liners>? (Question in a supermarket)
PaulQ
Senior Member
UK
English - England
- Apr 6, 2018
- #2
In BE, bin-liners and rubbish bags are completely different items.
Bin-liners only go in bins: the plastic is thin and will not take much weight and are usually white.
If bin-liner means a dustbin-liner, then these do resemble a rubbish bag as they are stronger, but not as strong as
Rubbish bags come in various grades from standard to heavy-duty - the latter is usually used for garden waste.
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dojibear
Senior Member
Fresno CA
English (US - northeast)
- Apr 6, 2018
- #3
In AE "trash bags" is very common. "Garbage bags" is not. Some people use "garbage" to mean some kinds of trash (especially food trash), but the word isn't used for the plastic bags you purchase.
In my cupboard I have rolls of thin plastic "tall kitchen trash bags" (used as a liner) and "large trash bags: 30 gallon".
meijin
Senior Member
Tokyo
Japanese
- Apr 6, 2018
- #4
PaulQ said: Bin-liners only go in bins: the plastic is thin and will not take much weight and are usually white. Would you say the black ones put over the small red, green and blue bins are "dustbin-liners"?
So I suppose the first one below is a bin-liner and the second ones are rubbish bags.
If bin-liner means a dustbin-liner, then these do resemble a rubbish bag as they are stronger, but not as strong as
Rubbish bags come in various grades from standard to heavy-duty - the latter is usually used for garden waste.
dojibear said:
In AE "trash bags" is very common. "Garbage bags" is not. Some people use "garbage" to mean some kinds of trash (especially food trash), but the word isn't used for the plastic bags you purchase.
I didn't know this. So, are the bags in the photos above all "trash bags" in AmE?
dojibear
Senior Member
Fresno CA
English (US - northeast)
- Apr 6, 2018
- #5
meijin said:
So, are the bags in the photos above all "trash bags" in AmE?
Yes. We are a simple people.
PaulQ
Senior Member
UK
English - England
- Apr 6, 2018
- #6
meijin said:
Would you say the black ones put over the small red, green and blue bins are "dustbin-liners"?
No. They are bins, not dustbins, and so they are all bin-liners.
Dustbins are only found outside the house and usually have a capacity of about 90 litres.
meijin
Senior Member
Tokyo
Japanese
- Apr 6, 2018
- #7
PaulQ said:
No. They are bins, not dustbins, and so they are all bin-liners.
Oh...until this comment I had thought that "bin" was just a shortened form of "dustbin"! OK. I've found dustbin liners:
Andygc
Senior Member
Devon
British English
- Apr 6, 2018
- #8
The roll of bags are what I call "bin bags". A dustbin liner is intended to be strong enough to be left out for collection, like the pile of bags next to the green "wheelie bin" in the earlier picture. "Bin" has a much wider meaning than "dustbin", just as "bin liner" has a wider meaning than "dustbin liner".
meijin
Senior Member
Tokyo
Japanese
- Apr 6, 2018
- #9
Andygc said:
A dustbin liner is intended to be strong enough to be left out for collection, like the pile of bags next to the green "wheelie bin" in the earlier picture.
So "dustbin liners" and some of the "rubbish bags" are indeed quite similar (as Paul said).
Andygc said:
"Bin" has a much wider meaning than "dustbin", just as "bin liner" has a wider meaning than "dustbin liner".
At least I've learned what dustbin and dustbin liners are.
heypresto
Senior Member
South East England
English - England
- Apr 6, 2018
- #10
meijin said:
At least I've learned what dustbin and dustbin liners are.
One of the more important things to know in English.
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