Translation guide
The act of moving or acting slowly, wasting time, or lingering without purpose. Japanese expresses this through verbs, adverbs, and onomatopoeia that describe slow movement, procrastination, or idle lingering.
Describing physical slowness, such as walking slowly or falling behind a group.
An onomatopoeic adverb meaning 'slowly' or 'sluggishly', often used for walking or moving at a dawdling pace.
彼はのろのろ歩いている。
He is walking slowly.
An onomatopoeic adverb implying dawdling, procrastinating, or moving slowly, often with a sense of reluctance.
ぐずぐずしないで！
Stop dawdling!
Verb meaning 'to be late' or 'to fall behind'. Used when someone is dawdling and thus not keeping up.
彼はいつも遅れる。
He always falls behind.
Onomatopoeic adverb for moving or acting slowly and inefficiently, often causing delays.
もたもたしてると遅刻するよ。
If you dawdle, you'll be late.
Delaying an action or task, often by doing unimportant things instead.
Verb phrase meaning to dawdle or procrastinate, often used when someone is slow to start or finish something.
彼は宿題をぐずぐずしている。
He is dawdling over his homework.
Verb phrase meaning to laze around or do something in a slow, drawn-out manner, often implying wasting time.
週末はだらだらして過ごした。
I spent the weekend dawdling around.
Phrase meaning 'to waste time'. A more direct way to describe dawdling as time-wasting.
そんなことで時間を無駄にしないで。
Don't waste time on things like that.
Phrase meaning 'to postpone' or 'to put off'. Used when dawdling leads to procrastination.
彼は決断を先延ばしにしている。
He is dawdling over the decision.
Staying in a place longer than necessary, often idly.
Verb phrase meaning to stroll or hang around aimlessly, often used for dawdling while walking or waiting.
彼は公園でぶらぶらしていた。
He was dawdling in the park.
Verb phrase meaning to loiter or hang around, often with a nuance of being in the way or without clear purpose.
駅前でうろうろしないで。
Don't dawdle in front of the station.
Verb meaning to hang around in a group, often idly. Slightly negative, implying loitering.
There is no single Japanese word that exactly matches 'dawdling' in all contexts. Using a direct translation like 'ダドリング' would not be understood. Instead, choose the expression that fits the specific nuance: slow movement, procrastination, or lingering.
All three are onomatopoeic adverbs for slowness, but with different nuances. のろのろ focuses on slow physical movement. ぐずぐず implies reluctance or procrastination. もたもた suggests inefficiency and fumbling. Use のろのろ for walking slowly, ぐずぐず for delaying a task, and もたもた for clumsy, time-wasting actions.
のろのろ運転
slow driving (dawdling along)
ぐずぐず返事をしない
don't dawdle in replying
もたもたして遅刻した
I dawdled and was late
若者たちがコンビニの前にたむろしている。
Young people are dawdling in front of the convenience store.