How to say "turbulence" in Japanese
Choosing the right word
- 激動げきどうnoun, suru verb, intransitive verbCovers turbulence in the figurative sense: violent upheaval and turmoil of times, events, or society. The common choice when English 'turbulence' describes a turbulent era rather than physical motion.
- 大揺れおおゆれnounLiteral, physical turbulence: violent shaking or a severe jolt, as of the ground in a quake. It points to actual shaking, not figurative turmoil of an era.
- nounA phonetic borrowing of 'turbulence' itself, covering the literal physical phenomenon of chaotic air or fluid flow. It is less common, so it is not the default choice.
- 撹乱かくらんnoun, suru verb, transitive verbReally means disturbance or perturbation — throwing an ordered state into confusion, as in scientific perturbation — so it is seldom the word for turbulence itself.
Use 激動 for figurative turmoil of times or events, 「大揺れ」 for literal violent shaking, 「タービュランス」 as the loanword for physical turbulence, and 撹乱 only for disturbance or perturbation.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese equivalents
