Translation guide
The English word "beat" has many meanings. This guide organizes them by practical use: physical hitting, defeating, rhythmic patterns, surpassing, and more. For each meaning, natural Japanese expressions are provided.
To strike someone or something multiple times, often with force.
General verb for punching or beating someone with fists. Can be used for repeated hitting.
彼は相手を何度も殴った。
He beat the opponent many times.
To hit, strike, or beat. Can be used for hitting with hands or objects, but often implies slapping or striking rather than punching. Also used metaphorically.
To hit, strike. Often used in specific contexts like beating a drum or hitting a ball. Can sound more formal or literary.
Colloquial verb for hitting or striking. Stronger and more casual than 叩く.
彼をぶってやった。
I beat him up.
To win against someone in a game, battle, or argument.
To defeat or beat someone in a contest. Transitive verb.
The regular pulse in music, or a rhythmic unit.
Loanword from English, commonly used in music contexts.
To be better than something else, to exceed.
To surpass, to be superior. Often used in comparisons.
To stir or whip ingredients rapidly.
The pulsation of the heart.
Heartbeat, pulsation. Often used in literary or emotional contexts.
To avoid a problem, to get away before something bad happens.
To avoid something. Use with nouns.
ラッシュを避けるために早く出た。
I left early to beat the rush.
Expression "beats me" meaning "I don't know" or "I can't understand".
I have no idea. Common phrase equivalent to "beats me".
なぜ彼が怒っているのかさっぱりわからない。
It beats me why he's angry.
殴る specifically means to punch or hit with fists. Do not use it for beating in a game or competition. Use 負かす or 勝つ instead.
負かす is transitive and takes the opponent as direct object (を). 勝つ is intransitive and requires に for the opponent. Both mean to win/beat, but 負かす emphasizes defeating someone, while 勝つ simply means to win.
彼は机を叩いた。
He beat on the desk.
Beat a drum.
私たちは相手チームを負かした。
We beat the opposing team.
To win. Use with に to indicate who you beat. Intransitive, so the person beaten is marked with に.
私たちは相手に勝った。
We beat the opponent.
To defeat thoroughly, to beat decisively. Stronger than 負かす.
彼らは敵を打ち負かした。
They beat the enemy.
To beat up, to defeat soundly. Casual and often implies physical or decisive victory.
彼をゲームでやっつけた。
I beat him in the game.
I like the beat of this song.
Musical time, beat, rhythm. Often used in traditional contexts or counting beats.
手拍子で拍子をとる。
Keep the beat by clapping hands.
Rhythm. More general than beat, but often used interchangeably in modern music.
ダンスのリズムに合わせる。
Move to the beat of the dance.
品質では他社に勝る。
We beat other companies in quality.
To exceed, to go above (a number or standard).
結果は予想を上回った。
The results beat expectations.
To be superior to ~. A common pattern for comparisons.
この製品は他より優れている。
This product beats others.
To beat until frothy, to whip (cream, eggs).
卵を泡立てる。
Beat the eggs.
To mix. Not specifically beating, but often used in recipes.
材料をよく混ぜる。
Beat the ingredients well.
My heartbeat quickens.
Heartbeat, often used in medical or fitness contexts.
心拍数をチェックする。
Check the heartbeat.
To escape before something happens. Literal translation, but natural in context.
雨の前に逃げよう。
Let's beat the rain.
I give up; it's beyond me. Casual.
この問題はお手上げだ。
This problem beats me.