How to say "behavior" in Japanese

• 振る舞いふるまいCommon
  nounThe way a person acts or carries themselves — 'behavior' or 'conduct' in a neutral sense. Fits describing how someone behaved on a particular occasion, whether well or badly.
  よくもまあ、そんな振舞ふるまいができるもんだ。↗

  How dare you behave like that!
• 挙動きょどうCommon
  nounOutward conduct: how a person acts and moves as seen by others. Typical in descriptions of someone's demeanor, particularly when that conduct is being watched or judged.
  警察けいさつは山田やまだの挙動きょどうを注視ちゅうししている。↗

  The police are closely watching Yamada's behaviour.
• 行儀ぎょうぎJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounBehavior as manners: conduct judged proper or improper, polite or rude. Typical context is praising or correcting someone's manners, especially a child's; choose this when 'behavior' really means how well one behaves.
  彼女かのじょは行儀ぎょうぎが極きわめて上品じょうひんである。↗

  She is quite decent in conduct.
• 行動こうどうJLPT N3approx.Common
  suru verb, intransitive verb, no-adjectiveEssentially 'action': what a person does. As 'behavior' it frames conduct as acts and activities — the right choice when 'behavior' means what someone did, not how politely they did it.
  彼かれは友人ゆうじんの行動こうどうに憤慨ふんがいした。↗

  He resented his friend's action.
• 行状ぎょうじょうCommon
  nounA person's conduct, often with the feel of a record or account of how someone has acted and lived. In everyday speech this is seldom the word you want for 'behavior'.

Choose 「振る舞い」 for how someone acts, 挙動 for outward conduct as observed by others, 行儀 when behavior means manners, 行動 when it means actions, and 行状, seldom the everyday choice, for a person's conduct on record.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 振る舞いふるまいbehavior
• 挙動きょどうconduct
• 行儀ぎょうぎmanners
• 行動こうどうaction
• 行状ぎょうじょうbehavior
• 素行そこうbehaviour
• 言動げんどうspeech and conduct
• 仕草しぐさgesture
• 立ち居振る舞いたちいふるまいmovements
• 素振りそぶりbehavior
• 挙措きょそbehavior
• 容儀ようぎbehavior
• 行跡ぎょうせきbehavior
• 起居動作ききょどうさbehavior
• 挙措進退きょそしんたいbehavior
• 起居挙動ききょきょどうbehavior
• 対応行動たいおうこうどうbehavior (esp. in response to an emergency, medical situation, etc.)
• 挙きょaction
• 品行ひんこう(moral) conduct
• ビヘイビアbehaviour
• 身持ちみもちconduct
• お行儀おぎょうぎmanners
• 坐作進退ざさしんたいdeportment
• 容止ようしdemeanor
• 立ち振る舞いたちふるまいmovements
• 仕打ちしうち(poor) treatment
• ふりappearance
• 風かぜmanner
• 真似まねbehavior
• 習性しゅうせいbehavior
• 行いおこないconduct
• 動作どうさbearing
• 性質せいしつquality