How to say "rolling" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- noun, suru verb, intransitive verbA loanword for the rolling of a ship: the side-to-side rocking motion as a vessel moves through waves. Use it in nautical contexts, such as describing how a ship rolls in rough seas.
- 圧延あつえんnoun, suru verb, transitive verbCovers rolling in the industrial, technical sense: extending a material by applying pressure, as when metal is rolled in a mill. Use it for manufacturing processes, not for physical rolling movement.
- 動揺どうようnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbSeldom the word you want for 'rolling': 動揺 really means shaking or agitation, above all emotional upset. The pitching-and-rolling sense in its gloss is a marginal, physical use.
- adverb (with と), suru verbAn onomatopoeic word for the rolling or tumbling of something large and heavy, evoking a rumbling sound. Picture a boulder tumbling down a slope or a heavy barrel rolling across the floor.
For a ship's rolling use 「ローリング」, for something large and heavy tumbling use 「ゴロゴロ」, and for industrial rolling of metal use 圧延; 動揺 mainly means agitation and is rarely the word for literal rolling.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
