Translation guide
The act of trying to gain favor with someone in authority through excessive flattery or sycophantic behavior.
To describe the act of flattering or ingratiating oneself with a boss, teacher, or other authority figure in order to gain advantage.
Literally 'grinding sesame seeds', this is the most common and natural way to describe brown-nosing in Japanese. It can be used as a noun or a verb (ごますりをする).
彼はいつも上司にごますりをしている。
He's always brown-nosing the boss.
A verb meaning to flatter or fawn over someone, often with a negative connotation of being obsequious. Can be used as 媚びを売る.
Literally 'drum bearer', this is an old-fashioned term for a sycophant or professional flatterer, often used in a historical or entertainment context. Can be used metaphorically for a brown-noser.
Both mean flattery or sucking up, but ごますり is more colloquial and commonly used in everyday speech. おべっかを使う is slightly more formal and can be used in writing. 媚びる is stronger and implies a loss of dignity.
ごますりが上手な人は出世しやすい。
People who are good at brown-nosing tend to get promoted easily.
彼はおべっかを使うのが下手だ。
He's not good at flattering people.
Do not translate 'brown-nosing' literally as 茶色の鼻. It will not be understood. Use the idiomatic expressions above.
Means to flatter or butter someone up. Slightly more formal than ごますり, but still common. Often used in the phrase おべっかを使う.
彼女は先生におべっかを使ってばかりいる。
She's always sucking up to the teacher.
He got promoted by brown-nosing the powerful.
He's like a professional flatterer, always trying to please the president.