Translation guide
The English verb 'mince' has two main uses: finely chopping food (especially meat) and walking in an affected, dainty way. It can also refer to softening one's words. This guide covers natural Japanese expressions for each meaning.
To cut food, especially meat, into very small pieces using a knife or machine.
mince the garlic · minced beef · finely mince the onions
The standard verb for grinding meat, coffee, etc. Often used in the form ひき肉 (minced meat).
肉を挽いてハンバーグを作る。
I mince the meat and make hamburger steak.
Literally 'to make into fine cuts'. Used for vegetables, herbs, etc., but can also apply to meat when chopping by hand.
玉ねぎをみじん切りにする。
I mince the onion.
Means 'to chop finely'. A general term for cutting into small pieces, not as specific as みじん切り.
にんにくを細かく刻む。
I mince the garlic.
Loanword from English 'mince', used as a suru-verb. Common in Kansai dialect for ground meat, but less standard nationwide.
肉をミンチにする。
I mince the meat.
To walk in an affected, delicate manner with short steps, often to appear elegant or cute.
She minced across the room. · He minced along in tight trousers.
Describes walking with quick, short steps, often in a cute or busy manner. Can be used for children, small animals, or someone trying to be dainty.
彼女はハイヒールでちょこちょこ歩いた。
She minced along in her high heels.
Literally 'walk with sliding feet'. Suggests a mincing gait where the feet don't leave the ground, often in traditional contexts like kimono.
着物を着てすり足で歩く。
She minces along in her kimono, taking small sliding steps.
Means 'to walk affectedly/pretentiously'. Captures the artificial, showy aspect of mincing.
彼は気取って歩いている。
He is mincing around.
To speak in an indirect or euphemistic way, often to avoid offense. Usually used in the phrase 'not mince words'.
not mince words · He doesn't mince his words.
Literally 'to muddy one's words'. Means to be evasive or not speak clearly. Often used in the negative to mean 'speak frankly'.
彼は言葉を濁さずに意見を言った。
He didn't mince words and gave his opinion.
Means 'to say indirectly' or 'to beat around the bush'. Closer to 'mince words' in the sense of avoiding directness.
遠回しに言わないで、はっきり言ってください。
Don't mince words; tell me straight.
Idiom meaning 'to wrap in a thin layer' (like a pill). Used for softening harsh words, similar to 'sugarcoat'.
批判をオブラートに包んで伝える。
I mince my criticism.
There is no single Japanese verb that directly translates the affected walking sense of 'mince'. Using みじん切り (finely chop) for walking would be comical. Use descriptive phrases like ちょこちょこ歩く instead.
挽く (hiku) is specifically for grinding through a machine (meat grinder, mill). みじん切りにする is for chopping finely with a knife. For meat, 挽く is more common when making ground meat; みじん切り is for hand-chopping.