Translation guide
Describes quick, light, or irregular movement, often of wings, flags, or the heart. Japanese uses different words depending on what is fluttering and how.
To describe the rapid, light movement of wings or a bird flying unsteadily.
To flap wings; the most direct verb for a bird or insect flapping its wings.
The bird fluttered its wings and took off.
To fly fluttering lightly, like a butterfly or a leaf.
A butterfly is fluttering about.
To dance or flutter in the air; often used for petals, snow, or graceful flight.
Cherry blossom petals are fluttering down.
To describe something light moving gently or rapidly in the wind.
To flap or flutter in the wind, typically for flags, curtains, or sails.
The flag is fluttering in the wind.
To stream or flutter in the wind, often for hair, smoke, or long objects.
To flutter lightly; onomatopoeic for something thin and light moving in the air.
The scarf is fluttering.
To express a quick, light, or irregular heartbeat due to emotion.
Heart flutters with excitement or romantic anticipation.
My heart flutters when I see him.
Onomatopoeic for a pounding or fluttering heart; can be excitement or nervousness.
My heart always flutters before a presentation.
Heart pounds or flutters with anticipation or strong emotion.
To describe the quick, light movement of eyelashes.
To flutter one's eyelashes; onomatopoeic for blinking or batting eyelashes.
She fluttered her eyelashes.
To describe light objects falling with a fluttering motion.
はためく implies a flapping sound or vigorous movement, often for flags or sails. なびく suggests a smoother, streaming motion, like hair or smoke in the wind.
You can hear the flag fluttering.
The smoke is streaming in the wind.
羽ばたく specifically means flapping wings. Using it for inanimate objects like flags would sound unnatural.
彼女の髪が風になびいていた。
Her hair was fluttering in the wind.
My heart fluttered at the start of the adventure.
雪が舞い落ちている。
Snow is fluttering down.