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.
Please knock on the door.
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).
I knocked lightly on the door.
Onomatopoeia for the sound of knocking. Used in storytelling or casual descriptions, not as a verb itself.
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.
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.
To speak negatively about someone, often unfairly.
To cause something to fall by hitting it.
To hit someone so they lose consciousness.
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.
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.
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.
I knocked my head.
I got knocked by the critics.
To overturn, to knock over. Often implies turning something upside down.
I knocked over the cup.