How to say "flowing" in Japanese

• 流暢りゅうちょうCommon
  na-adjective, nounCovers 'flowing' only in the sense of smooth, fluent speech or language; it describes speaking or writing with ease, not the movement of liquids. Typical of praise for someone's language ability.
  デビッドは流暢りゅうちょうにフランス語ふらんすごを話はなすことができる。↗

  David can speak French fluently.
• 流麗りゅうれいCommon
  na-adjective, nounCovers 'flowing' in the sense of graceful and elegant; it describes a flowing, refined quality, especially of written style, adding beauty that mere fluency does not. Typical of praise for elegant prose.
  どこからかハープの流麗りゅうれいな調しらべが聞きこえてきた。↗

  They could hear the elegant, flowing sound of a harp coming from somewhere.
• だらだらCommon
  adverb (with と)The literal, physical sense: liquid moving in a stream or drops, as sweat or blood trickling down. As an onomatopoeic word it paints continuous, unbroken flowing rather than style or speech.
  汗あせがダラダラです。↗

  I'm dripping with sweat.

For literal liquid movement use 「だらだら」; for the figurative 'flowing' of language or style, choose 流暢 for fluent speech and 流麗 when elegance is emphasized.

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

• 流暢りゅうちょうfluent (in a language)
• 流麗りゅうれいfluent
• だらだらin drops
• よどみないfluent
• 房房したふさふさしたtufty