Translation guide
The act of lingering or hanging around in a public place without a clear purpose, often with a nuance of being suspicious or unwanted.
To describe the act of staying in a place, especially a public area, without any apparent reason or activity.
Commonly used for groups of people hanging around, often with a slightly negative or idle connotation.
Young people are loitering in front of the convenience store.
Implies wandering around restlessly or suspiciously, often used for a single person.
A suspicious man is loitering around the house.
Means to hang around idly, often without a negative nuance; can be used for leisurely strolling.
It's fun to loiter in the park.
Formal or technical term for wandering or loitering, often used in legal contexts or for elderly with dementia.
Loitering late at night is prohibited by ordinance.
To emphasize the suspicious or potentially criminal aspect of lingering in an area.
Used in official rules, signs, or legal documents prohibiting loitering.
たむろする is typically used for groups of people gathering and staying in one spot, often with a negative image. うろつく is more about moving around restlessly or suspiciously, usually by an individual.
Students are loitering in front of the school gate.
A cat is loitering in the garden.
There is no single Japanese word that perfectly matches all nuances of 'loitering'. Using たむろする or うろつく depends on whether it's a group or individual, and the level of suspicion. Avoid directly translating 'loitering' as ロイタリング, which is not used.
夜中に誰かが庭をうろついていた。
Someone was loitering in the garden at night.
Loitering is prohibited in this area at night.