ナビ

なび

noun

navigation system; car nav; GPS navigation

1. navigation system; car nav; GPS navigation

An abbreviated form of ナビゲーション (navigation). Refers primarily to car navigation systems (カーナビ), but also used more broadly for any GPS or map-based navigation on smartphones and other devices.

ナビに住所(じゅうしょ)を入(い)れた。

I entered the address into the navigation system.

ナビの案内(あんない)に従(したが)って走(はし)った。

I drove following the navigation's directions.

ナビが古(ふる)くて、新(あたら)しい道(みち)が表示(ひょうじ)されなかった。

The nav system was outdated and didn't show the new road.

知(し)らない土地(とち)ではスマホのナビがないと不安(ふあん)だ。

In an unfamiliar place, I feel uneasy without my phone's navigation.

An abbreviation of ナビゲーション (navigation), itself from English. In Japanese, ナビ most commonly refers to an in-car GPS navigation device (カーナビ), which has been standard equipment in Japanese cars for decades. Japan was an early adopter of car navigation technology, and the word became part of everyday vocabulary.

More recently, ナビ also covers smartphone navigation apps like Google Maps. The word is used both as a standalone noun and as part of compounds.

Common collocations

カーナビ: car navigation system
ナビを設定(せってい)する: to set the navigation
ナビに従(したが)う: to follow the nav
ナビの案内(あんない): navigation directions/guidance
ナビを使(つか)う: to use the nav

Similar words

カーナビ: car navigation — the full compound; essentially the same as ナビ in driving contexts
地図(ちず)アプリ: map app — the smartphone equivalent, though ナビ is also used for phone navigation
GPS: GPS — the underlying satellite technology; ナビ refers to the user-facing system/device

general

Added 2026.4.12 23:11 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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