How to say "quake" in Japanese

• 震えるふるえるJLPT N3approx.Common
  ichidan verb, intransitive verbThe common verb for trembling: a person or animal shivering with cold or fear, or a voice or hands shaking. When English 'quake' means 'tremble', this is the word you want.
  少年しょうねんは物音ものおとに震ふるえた。↗

  The boy quivered at the sound.
• 揺り動くゆりうごく
  godan verb, intransitive verbA less common verb: it matches 'quake' for something shaking back and forth, but its core image is the swinging, swaying motion of its other gloss, and it is seldom the word you want.
• クェイク
  nounA direct borrowing of the English noun 'quake', meaning an earthquake. It is less common and seldom what you want; for trembling or shaking as a verb, 震える is the word.
• 震うふるう
  godan verb, intransitive verbA dated equivalent of 震える with the same range of senses—shiver, shake, quake, tremble. You may come across it in older writing, but it is seldom the word to use yourself.

For trembling or shaking—people, voices, hands—use the common 「震える」; 「揺り動く」 leans toward a swaying, back-and-forth motion; 「クェイク」 is the borrowed noun for an earthquake; 「震う」 is a dated equivalent of 「震える」.

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

• 震えるふるえるto shiver
• 揺り動くゆりうごくto quake
• クェイクquake
• 震うふるうto shiver