Translation guide
The English word "aspirate" has two main areas of meaning: one related to breathing and medical contexts, and another related to speech sounds. This guide focuses on the most useful meanings for English-speaking learners of Japanese.
To express the medical concept of accidentally breathing food, liquid, or other substances into the airway or lungs.
This is the standard medical term for aspiration (inhaling foreign matter). It is a suru-verb.
高齢者は誤嚥しやすい。
Elderly people are prone to aspiration.
Please be careful of aspiration pneumonia.
Literally "go into the windpipe," this is a more everyday way to describe aspiration.
食べ物が気管に入った。
Food went down the wrong way.
This verb means to choke or cough when something goes down the wrong pipe. It describes the reflex, not the medical condition itself, but is very common.
水を飲んでむせた。
I choked on the water.
To express the medical procedure of removing fluids or tissue using suction.
General term for suctioning or aspirating fluids, used in medical and dental contexts.
医師が腹水を吸引した。
The doctor aspirated the ascites.
Literally "suck out," this is a more casual way to describe suctioning, but can be used in non-medical contexts too.
傷口の膿を吸い出した。
I aspirated the pus from the wound.
To describe the pronunciation of certain consonants with a strong burst of breath, as in English 'p', 't', 'k' at the start of words.
The technical term for an aspirated sound in phonetics. Often used as a noun.
英語の /p/ は有気音です。
English /p/ is an aspirated sound.
A descriptive phrase meaning "sound accompanied by breath." Less technical.
この子音は息を伴う音で発音される。
This consonant is pronounced with aspiration.
Another technical term for aspirated sound, less common than 有気音.
To express the action of pronouncing a sound with a puff of air.
The most straightforward way to say "to aspirate a sound."
この音を有気音で発音してください。
Please aspirate this sound.
A more descriptive, less technical way to say "pronounce with breath."
「p」は息を出して発音します。
You pronounce 'p' with aspiration.
When describing the everyday experience of food or drink "going down the wrong pipe," do not use 誤嚥する. Instead, use むせる or 気管に入る. 誤嚥する is a medical term and sounds overly clinical in casual conversation.
In Japanese, the distinction between aspirated and unaspirated consonants is not phonemic (it doesn't change word meaning). Japanese speakers may not naturally produce strong aspiration, so when teaching English pronunciation, you may need to explain the concept using 有気音 (aspirated) and 無気音 (unaspirated).
帯気音と無気音の区別。
The distinction between aspirated and unaspirated sounds.