How to say "stumble" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- godan verb, intransitive verbCovers stumbling in the sense of tripping: the foot catches on an obstacle or uneven ground and the body pitches forward or nearly falls. The image is the foot catching, not general loss of balance.
- godan verb, intransitive verbCovers stumbling as unsteady, swaying movement: lurching, tottering or reeling as balance gives way, as from a push or dizziness. This is the word for that off-balance lurch, rather than the foot catching on something.
Use 「つまずく」 for stumbling in the sense of tripping, when your foot catches on something; use 「よろめく」 for stumbling as unsteady movement, when you lurch or totter and your balance gives way.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
See also
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