Translation guide
The English word 'knock' covers several distinct actions and meanings. This guide helps learners choose the right Japanese expression for each situation, from tapping on a door to bumping into something.
The action of hitting a door or surface with knuckles to announce your presence.
The most common and neutral way to say 'knock on a door'. A loanword from English, used in everyday conversation.
ドアをノックしてください。
Please knock on the door.
誰かがノックしている。
Someone is knocking.
A general verb meaning 'to hit' or 'to strike'. Can be used for knocking, but is broader. Often used with 'ドアを' (the door).
ドアを軽く叩いた。
I knocked lightly on the door.
Onomatopoeia for the sound of knocking. Used in storytelling or casual descriptions, not as a verb itself.
ドアをコンコンとノックした。
I knocked on the door with a tap-tap.
Accidentally hitting a part of your body against an object or person.
Transitive verb meaning 'to bump/hit something against'. Use when you knock a body part against something.
テーブルにひじをぶつけた。
I knocked my elbow against the table.
Intransitive verb meaning 'to bump into'. Use when the subject itself hits something.
Means 'to hit' or 'to strike'. Can be used for knocking a body part, but is less specific than ぶつける.
頭を打った。
I knocked my head.
To speak negatively about someone, often unfairly.
To speak ill of, to disparage. Commonly used for 'knocking' someone's efforts or character.
彼はいつも人のことをけなす。
He's always knocking other people.
To criticize severely, to tear down. Stronger than けなす.
To cause something to fall by hitting it.
Transitive verb meaning 'to knock over' or 'to bring down'. Used for objects.
花瓶を倒してしまった。
I knocked over the vase.
To hit someone so they lose consciousness.
Loanword from English, used in boxing and fighting contexts.
彼は相手をノックアウトした。
He knocked out his opponent.
To make someone faint or lose consciousness. More general than ノックアウト.
一発で彼を気絶させた。
He knocked him out with one punch.
The action of tapping wood to avoid bad luck after mentioning good fortune.
There is no direct equivalent. Japanese people might say 'くわばらくわばら' (a phrase to ward off lightning/bad luck) or simply not have the custom. Explain the action if needed.
日本では、そういう時は「くわばらくわばら」と言うことがあります。
In Japan, people sometimes say 'kuwabara kuwabara' in such situations.
ノックする only means knocking on a door or surface to get attention. For accidentally hitting something, use ぶつける or ぶつかる.
机に足をぶつけた。
I knocked my leg against the desk.
暗くてドアにぶつかった。
It was dark and I knocked into the door.
批評家にこき下ろされた。
I got knocked by the critics.
To overturn, to knock over. Often implies turning something upside down.
コップをひっくり返した。
I knocked over the cup.