How to say "doubt" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 疑問ぎもんnoun, na-adjectiveDoubt as a question — something you are unsure about and may raise or have answered. Use it when you have doubts about an explanation, a claim, or a point that remains unresolved.
- 疑ううたがうgodan verb, transitive verbThe verb: to doubt the truth of something, to distrust a person, or to suspect someone of something. Choose this when 'doubt' is an action, as in doubting a story or someone's honesty.
- 疑いうたがいnounDoubt as lingering uncertainty or suspicion about whether something is true or someone is innocent. Fits contexts where suspicion falls on a person's conduct or a claim's truth.
- 疑惑ぎわくno-adjective, noun (suffix)Doubt tinged with distrust: misgivings or uneasy suspicion, often about a person's conduct or honesty. Fits a nagging feeling that something is not right, or misgivings about someone's dealings.
- 不審ふしんnoun, na-adjectiveSuspicion that something or someone is strange or not what it seems, rather than plain doubt about a fact. For simply questioning whether something is true, this is seldom the word you want.
Use 疑問 for a doubt as an open question, 「疑う」 for the verb to doubt or suspect, 「疑い」 for doubt as suspicion about guilt or truth, 疑惑 for uneasy misgivings or distrust, and 不審 for suspicion of something strange.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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