Translation guide
The English word 'hazy' describes unclear, vague, or indistinct states, whether physical (like the sky or view), mental (memories, thoughts), or atmospheric. This guide covers natural Japanese expressions for these nuances.
Describing weather or air that is hazy, misty, or smoggy, reducing visibility.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to become hazy/misty', often used for distant views or the sky. The noun form is 霞 (かすみ).
遠くの山が霞んで見える。
The distant mountains look hazy.
Phrase meaning 'covered with a haze/mist', often for a thin fog or mist.
朝、街にもやがかかっていた。
In the morning, the town was hazy.
Verb meaning 'to be smoky/hazy', often from smoke or fine particles. More specific than 霞む.
火事の煙で空気が煙っている。
The air is hazy from the fire smoke.
Describing memories, ideas, or thoughts that are not clear or distinct.
Adjective meaning 'vague, dim, hazy', used for unclear memories or mental states. Also an adverb ぼんやりと.
子供の頃の記憶はぼんやりしている。
My childhood memories are hazy.
Adjective meaning 'ambiguous, vague', often for unclear statements or boundaries. Can be used for hazy recollections.
彼の説明は曖昧でよくわからなかった。
His explanation was hazy and hard to understand.
Adjective meaning 'dim, faint, hazy', often used for memories or outlines. Slightly literary.
おぼろげな記憶をたどる。
I trace my hazy memories.
Describing objects or shapes that are indistinct or blurred.
Adjective meaning 'blurred, fuzzy, hazy', from the verb ぼやける (to blur). Common for photos, vision, or outlines.
写真がぼやけていて、誰だかわからない。
The photo is hazy, so I can't tell who it is.
Formal adjective meaning 'unclear, indistinct', used for images, outlines, or details.
不鮮明な画像からは何も読み取れない。
Nothing can be made out from the hazy image.
Describing a mental state of being dazed, foggy, or not fully alert.
Phrase meaning 'to feel dazed/hazy/spaced out', often from tiredness or heat.
暑さで頭がぼうっとする。
My head feels hazy from the heat.
Adjective meaning 'dim, hazy, groggy', often for consciousness when half-asleep or ill.
熱で意識がもうろうとしている。
My consciousness is hazy from the fever.
霞む is for atmospheric haze (natural mist, smog), while ぼやける is for blurriness in vision, photos, or outlines. Use 霞む for landscapes, ぼやける for focus issues.
The English loanword ハジー is not commonly used in Japanese. Use native expressions instead.