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Japanese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "mumble" in Japanese?
つぶやく
tsubuyaku
In Japanese, "mumble" is つぶやく (tsubuyaku).
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Pronunciation
Tsu-bu-ya-ku, four syllables, said quietly and quickly, almost swallowing the middle sounds, fitting for a mumble.
Writing and usage
つぶやく is written using hiragana. It's a verb, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.
Example sentence
疲れているとつぶやくことが多い。
tsukare teirutotsubuyakukotoga ooi.
He tends to mumble when he's tired.
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How to remember つぶやく
Tsubuyaku sounds like 'tsu, boo, yak' — a yak grumbling under its breath, barely audible.
Related words
- whistle 口笛を吹く kuchibue wo fuku
- yawn あくびをする akubiwosuru
- hiccup しゃっくりする shakkurisuru
- blink まばたきをする mabatakiwosuru
- stretch 伸びをする nobi wosuru
- bend 曲げる mage ru
- kneel ひざまずく hizamazuku
- squat しゃがむ shagamu
- compare 比較する hikaku suru
Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.
Questions about つぶやく
How do you pronounce つぶやく?
Tsu-bu-ya-ku, four syllables, said quietly and quickly, almost swallowing the middle sounds, fitting for a mumble.
Is つぶやく formal or casual?
つぶやく is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.
How is つぶやく written in Japanese?
つぶやく is written using hiragana. Romanised, it reads as tsubuyaku.
Where can I practice Japanese words for free?
You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Mumble" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
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