Translation guide
The act of persuading someone through flattery, gentle urging, or sweet talk. In Japanese, this concept is expressed through various words and phrases that emphasize coaxing, flattering, or smooth-talking someone into doing something.
To persuade someone by praising them or making them feel good, often to get them to do something.
Flattery or compliments, often used to win favor or persuade. Can be used in the phrase お世辞を言う (to flatter).
彼はお世辞で上司を説得した。
He persuaded his boss with flattery.
To flatter or butter up someone to get them to do something. Often used in the phrase おだてに乗る (to be swayed by flattery).
彼女は彼をおだてて手伝わせた。
She cajoled him into helping by flattering him.
Sweet words, cajolery. A more formal or literary term for flattering speech used to manipulate.
彼の甘言に騙されないで。
Don't be fooled by his cajolery.
Smooth talk, cajolery. Literally 'mouth vehicle', implying being carried away by words. Often used in the phrase 口車に乗せる (to cajole someone).
彼は口車に乗せられて契約した。
He was cajoled into signing the contract.
To gently persuade someone by being nice, patient, or persistent, often with a tone of encouragement.
To soothe, calm, or coax someone into a better mood or into doing something. Implies gentle persuasion.
母親は泣いている子供をなだめて寝かせた。
The mother coaxed the crying child to sleep.
To humor someone, to get on someone's good side, often to persuade them. Literally 'to take someone's mood'.
To talk someone into something, to coax or wheedle. Implies skillfully persuading someone to agree.
To persuade someone by repeatedly asking or using insistent, sometimes childish, pleas.
To pester or coax someone for something, often used by children or in a pleading manner. Implies asking repeatedly.
子供がおもちゃをねだって泣いた。
The child cried, cajoling for a toy.
To pester or importune someone to do something, similar to ねだる but can be used for actions as well as objects.
おだてる focuses on flattery to get someone to do something, while なだめる focuses on calming or soothing someone who is upset. Use おだてる when you are buttering someone up, and なだめる when you are trying to pacify them.
彼は上司をおだてて休暇をもらった。
He cajoled his boss into giving him a vacation (by flattering him).
彼女は怒っている客をなだめた。
She coaxed the angry customer (to calm down).
There is no single Japanese word that perfectly matches 'cajolery'. Using a direct translation like カジョリー will not be understood. Instead, choose a word or phrase based on the specific nuance: flattery (お世辞, おだてる), soothing (なだめる), or persistent asking (ねだる).
彼は上司の機嫌を取って昇進を狙った。
He cajoled his boss to get a promotion.
彼は彼女を丸め込んで旅行に行くことにした。
He cajoled her into going on the trip.
She cajoled him into taking her to the movies.