Translation guide
How to express the action of touching or manipulating with fingers, including musical technique and sexual acts, in Japanese.
General action of using fingers to touch, feel, or manipulate something.
Literally 'touch with fingers'. The most common and neutral way to say 'fingering' in the sense of touching something with your fingers.
その布を指で触ってみてください。
Please try fingering the cloth.
The specific placement and movement of fingers on a musical instrument.
Standard term for 'fingering' in music, referring to the technique of finger movement.
Using fingers to sexually stimulate genitals.
Euphemistic and common way to say 'fingering' in a sexual context. Literally 'do with fingers'.
彼女は彼に指でしてほしいと言った。
She said she wanted him to finger her.
The English word 'fingering' covers multiple distinct concepts. In Japanese, you must choose the appropriate term based on context: general touching (指で触る), musical technique (運指), or sexual act (指でする). Using the wrong term can cause confusion or embarrassment.
For musical contexts, always use 運指 (unshi) or 指使い (yubizukai). 指で触る (yubi de sawaru) would sound like you are just touching the instrument, not playing it.
Implies fiddling or playing with something using fingers, often casually or restlessly.
彼は緊張してペンを指でいじっていた。
He was nervously fingering the pen.
To grope or fumble with fingers, often in the dark or searching for something. Can have a sexual nuance.
暗闇の中で彼は鍵を指で弄った。
He fingered the key in the dark.
この曲の運指は難しい。
The fingering for this piece is difficult.
More general term for 'use of fingers', often used in music contexts but also for typing or other manual skills.
ピアノの指使いを練習する。
Practice piano fingering.
Loanword from English, used in some musical contexts, especially in jazz or contemporary music.
ギターのフィンガリングを教えてください。
Please teach me the guitar fingering.
Slang term specifically for fingering a woman. Abbreviation of '手' (hand) and 'マンコ' (vulgar for vagina).
Very vulgar; use only in extremely casual or intimate contexts.
手マンでイかせる。
Make her come with fingering.
Literally 'finger insertion'. Used in sexual contexts, often in adult media.
指入れは気持ちいい？
Does fingering feel good?